Chhattisgarh Police announced on Sunday that eight Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Bijapur district. The deceased were senior cadres, collectively carrying a reward of Rs 16 lakh.
The operation has been hailed as a significant success in the ongoing efforts to tackle Maoist insurgency in the state.
The District Reserve Guard (DRG) of Chhattisgarh Police reported that during the encounter, security forces successfully destroyed a major Maoist camp in the Bijapur district.
In addition, they recovered a significant number of weapons, including an Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) rifle, a 12-bore rifle, and a Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL), along with 10 shells.
Other arms seized from the site included two 12-bore rifles, four muzzle-loading rifles, and a large quantity of explosive items. The operation, which was part of the state’s ongoing anti-Maoist efforts, took place in a forest near Todka village, under the Gangaloor police station area of Bijapur.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Bijapur, Jitendra Yadav, identified Kamlesh Neelkanth (24), a member of the Gangaloor area, as one of the Maoists killed in the operation.
Neelkanth carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh. Yadav also confirmed the deaths of two other Maoists, Tati Kamlu and Mangal Tati, both part of the Gangaloor Local Organisation Squad (LOS), who were each carrying a reward of Rs 3 lakh.
In addition, police identified the other slain Maoists as Lachchu Potam (40), Shankar Tati (26), Raju Tati, Vijju Padam (22), and Sannu Tati (40). These individuals were involved in various Maoist factions and each carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh.
During the operation, two DRG jawans sustained minor injuries. However, police confirmed that their condition is stable, and they are not in any danger. The operation was carried out swiftly, with security forces managing to eliminate the threat while keeping casualties to a minimum.
According to Chhattisgarh Police, this operation brings the total number of Maoists killed in the state this year to 49. Of these, 33 were killed in the Bastar division, which includes Bijapur and six other districts.
Earlier in January, on January 20-21, 16 Maoists were killed in a separate encounter with security personnel in Gariaband district, which is part of the Raipur division.
In 2024, a total of 219 Maoists were neutralized by security forces in various encounters across the state, as per official records.
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