80 Naxalites Killed So Far in Chhattisgarh in Just 4 Months

A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Bijapur district on Sunday, April 21. With this incident, a total of 80 Naxalites have been killed so far this year in separate encounters with security forces this year in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, encompassing seven districts, including Bijapur.

The gunfight erupted in a forest near Keshkutul village under the jurisdiction of Bhairamgarh police station around 5:30 am when the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was conducting an anti-Naxal operation.

The operation was initiated based on intelligence regarding the presence of Kawasi Pandaru, the division supply team commander of Maoists, along with 15-20 other terrorists in the Keshkutul-Keshmundi forests, located approximately 400 kilometres from the state capital Raipur. Upon the cessation of the gunfire exchange, the body of a Naxalite, along with a weapon and explosives, was recovered from the site.

Earlier, on April 16, 29 Naxalites, including 15 women, were killed in an encounter near Kalpar and Hapatola villages under the Chhotebethiya police station limits in Kanker district.

Among the neutralised naxalites were Shankar Rao, a divisional committee member of the north Bastar division committee of Maoists; his wife Rita, an area committee member from Telangana's Warangal and Adilabad districts; and Surekha, a member of the MMC zonal committee from Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. This was the highest number of fatalities suffered by Maoists in a single encounter in the history of the state's fight against left-wing extremism (LWE).

In a similar incident on April 6, three naxalites were neutralised in an intense encounter with security forces in the dense forest of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. The operation was carried out by the Greyhounds, known for their expertise in jungle warfare and counter-insurgency operations. Among the three slain naxalites, a long-standing figure named 'Sagar', who had a reward of 25,00,000 on his head, was killed. This sends a resounding message about the unwavering commitment of the security forces to combat communist terrorism.

In the same month, only a few days before, on April 2, thirteen Naxals were gunned down in the dense jungle near Lendra village, falling under the jurisdiction of Gangaloor police station. This encounter was executed by the coordinated efforts of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).

In the month of March, there were various encounters where multiple Maoists were killed. The timeline starts as on March 27, six naxalites, including "deputy commander" Punem Nagesh, his wife, and another female naxalite, were killed in an encounter in Bijapur. The slain naxalites carried a collective bounty of Rs. 14,00,000 on their heads. This encounter was part of an anti-Naxal operation. On March 24, SFs engaged in a fierce gun battle with Maoist terrorists in the jungle hill area between Dodi Tumnar and Gondpalli villages under Jagargunda Police Station limits in Sukma District.

The encounter claimed the life of a prominent Maoist ‘commander’ identified as Aavalam Podiya, alias Sannu (25) of the Gangaloor Area Committee. This operation, conducted by soldiers of Bastar Fighter, CoBRA, STF, and DRG, also led to the recovery of a significant cache of explosives, two printer machines, and Maoist paraphernalia from the site. A day before, on March 23, two Maoist terrorists were eliminated through the same anti-Naxal operation in a forest area under the Gangaloor police station limits in Bijapur district.

Prior to this, on March 19, SFs engaged in an intense fight with the naxalite terrorists in a forest near Purangel village in the Gampur area under Kirandul Police Station limits in Dantewada district. This encounter resulted in the deaths of two Maoist terrorists, including a woman. In another operation on March 16, security forces gunned down a Maoist in Chilparas village under the Koyelibeda Police Station area in Kanker District. A day before the above encounter, on March 15, two Maoist terrorists were killed in an encounter with the police in a forest near Hingmeta village under Bedre Police Station limits in Bijapur District.

In February, four Maoists were shot dead in back-to-back encounters in Bijapur district, following intelligence inputs about the presence of a large group of Maoists in the area. On February 25, three Maoist terrorists were gunned down in an encounter in Hurtarai forests near Domaharra village in Kanker District. On February 24, a Maoist terrorist was killed in an encounter with security personnel in a forest near Burklanka village under Bheji Police Station limits in Sukma District.

Moving back to January, on January 30, two Maoist terrorists were killed in an encounter in Bijapur district, as confirmed by a letter released by the Maoists themselves. On January 20, three Maoists, including two women, were killed in a gun battle with security forces during a search operation in Bijapur District. Similarly, on January 16, a Maoist terrorist involved in the killing of three policemen was gunned down by the security forces in Dantewada district. Lastly, on January 12, a Maoist militia commander identified as Toya Potam, alias Somlu, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur district.

Since the formation of the Vishnu Deo Sai government in Chhattisgarh in December 2023, pro-active operations have been carried out, and, as a result, a total of 80 Naxals have been eliminated and more than 125 arrested, while 150 have surrendered since January.

It has to be appreciated that the coordinated efforts of the government and the security forces are confining the Maoists into small spaces and are restricting their movement throughout the region. The Maoists are terrorised by these operations and are trying to escape the region. Looking at the pace and efficiency of all these anti-Naxal operations, left-wing extremism would soon come to an end.

Report by



Shomen Chandra
Intern, The Narrative