Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the operation as a “major victory” and reiterated the government’s stance to completely eliminate Naxalism by March 2026
The encounter occurred in the forests of Abhujmaad, close to the Maharashtra border. Representational Pic/File
Two top Maoist leaders, each carrying a bounty of Rs 40 lakh, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Monday, police officials said, reported the PTI.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the operation as a “major victory” and reiterated the government’s stance to completely eliminate Naxalism by March 2026.
In a post on X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "Today, our security forces have achieved another major victory against the Naxalites. In the Abujhmad region of Narayanpur along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, our forces eliminated two Central Committee Member Naxal leaders - Katta Ramchandra Reddy and Kadri Satyanarayan."
Amit Shah has said on several occasions that Naxalism will be eradicated from the country by March 31 next year.
The deceased were identified as Raju Dada (also known as Katta Ramachandra Reddy, aged 63) and Kosa Dada (also known as Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy, aged 67), according to the PTI.
Both were Central Committee members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and had been active in insurgency operations for over three decades.
The encounter occurred in the forests of Abhujmaad, close to the Maharashtra border, when a search operation was launched following intelligence inputs about the movement of high-ranking Maoist cadres.
After hours of intermittent gunfire, the bodies of the two men were recovered along with an AK-47 rifle, INSAS rifle, barrel grenade launcher, explosives, Maoist literature, and other items.
Both men hailed from Karimnagar in Telangana and were long-time operatives of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, which controls Maoist activities in the Bastar region. They were involved in several deadly attacks on both civilians and security forces.
Inspector General of Police, Sundarraj P, said the success reflects the continued pressure on the banned group and urged remaining Maoists to surrender and reintegrate into society, taking advantage of the government’s rehabilitation policy.
With this latest operation, a total of 249 Naxalites have been killed in Chhattisgarh this year, with 220 of them in the Bastar division.
On September 11, ten Naxalites, including a Central Committee Member (CCM) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) Modem Balakrishna, were killed in an encounter in the state's Gariaband district.
(with PTI inputs)
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