Big Win for Security Forces: Top Maoist Leader Killed in Chhattisgarh Encounter
In a bold move against Maoist insurgents, security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district took down 10 Maoists on Thursday, including a key leader from the banned CPI-Maoist group. This anti-Maoist operation has dealt a serious blow to Naxalism in the region.
The action kicked off after intelligence reports tipped off forces about Maoist hideouts in the dense forests near Mainpur. Teams from Gariaband’s E30 unit, the Special Task Force (STF), and the elite COBRA commandos from the CRPF swung into action. They cornered the rebels and engaged in a fierce encounter, neutralizing 10 of them.
Among the fallen was Modem Balakrishna, also known as Balanna, Ramchandra, or Manoj. At 58, this Central Committee member from Telangana’s Warangal district carried a whopping Rs 1 crore bounty on his head. Officials say his death marks a major step toward wiping out the Naxal threat in Chhattisgarh.
But that’s not all. In a separate crackdown the same day, joint teams arrested 26 active Maoists across Bijapur district, including six with a combined bounty of Rs 13 lakh. The operation involved the District Reserve Guard (DRG) Bijapur, local police from stations like Gangaloor, Bhairamgarh, Usur, Awapalli, and Tarrem, plus COBRA’s 205 battalion and CRPF’s 196 and 62 battalions.
The arrests happened in quick hits: three in Gangaloor, three in Bhairamgarh, eight in Awapalli, eight in Usur, and four in Tarrem. Security forces seized a haul of dangerous items, including IEDs, cooker bombs, tiffin bombs, detonators, safety fuses, wires, batteries, digging tools, and Maoist propaganda like banners, posters, and pamphlets. They also grabbed explosives, weapons, and banned materials.
During interrogation, the arrested Maoists admitted they were plotting to plant IEDs and target security personnel. Police have slapped cases under the Indian Penal Code and Explosives Act on them, and all are now in judicial custody.
These back-to-back successes show how security forces are ramping up efforts to crush Naxalism in India’s red corridor areas, spanning Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Telangana. Over the past few months, they’ve made huge strides in curbing the Maoist menace.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been vocal about this fight, stressing that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the government aims to completely eliminate Naxalism by March 31, 2026. These operations are a clear sign they’re on track.
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