New Delhi: A joint team of Chhattisgarh Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel gunned down nine suspected members, including six women, of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) in an encounter Tuesday at the border of Dantewada and Bijapur districts.
One of those killed has been identified as Randhir, a Maoist commander, who had a bounty of Rs 25 lakh on his head. He belonged to the of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of the CPI (M). The nine Maoists carried a cumulative bounty of Rs 60 lakh.
Covered by dense forests and hilly terrain, and spread across Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the DKSZC has emerged as one of the most potent strongholds and shelter zones for the top commanders of the Maoists.
According to Chhattisgarh Police officers, the operation was launched Monday by Dantewada Police after receiving intelligence inputs about the presence of nearly 50 Maoist cadres, including top commanders from West Bastar and Darbha division, around Bailadila hills in Dantewada. Following this, a team, comprising District Reserve Guards (DRG), Bastar Fighters and CRPF personnel was dispatched to the spot.
“When the team encircled Maoists in the morning hours of Tuesday, they opened fire, prompting forces to retaliate leading to the death of nine Maoists,” Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said in a statement.
Tuesday’s encounter was part of a widespread crackdown against Maoists by the security forces in the naxal-affected areas of India, especially Chhattisgarh.
Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj Pattilingam said that close coordination between state police, District Reserve Guards and Central Armed Police Forces has resulted in elimination of 153 Maoists in the Bastar division so far this year.
A total of 669 have been arrested, while 656 have surrendered before the forces in 2024 so far, the Bastar IGP further said.
ThePrint had reported in April how security forces have been trying to breach dense forests and narrow hills in the Bastar region, which are considered a safe haven for naxalites.
According to police officers, improvement in gathering of intelligence inputs about the movement of Maoists in deep dense forests and the adaptability of forces, such as DRG have improved the effectiveness of operations in the last few years.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had, on 24 August, chaired a high-level meeting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), which was attended by top authorities of Chhattisgarh and the adjacent states affected by Maoist operations. The goal of making India “Naxal-free” by March 2026 was set at the meeting.
‘Top Maoist commanders among casualties’
Sources in the police said that the exchange of fire between Maoists and security forces began at 7.30 am and continued for several rounds near Lohagaon, Purangel and Andri villages in the Kirandul police circle area. The encounter concluded around 1 pm.
The sources further indicated that the search party included nearly 300 DRG personnel and 50 personnel from CRPF.
“It is expected that some top commanders were among the casualties in this encounter. We had received an input about the presence of nearly 40-50 members, including West Bastar Division, Darbha division, company number two of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) and two platoons,” a senior Chhattisgarh Police officer told ThePrint. PLGA is the armed wing of Communist Party of India (Maoist).
Before Tuesday’s encounter, a team of state police’s Special Task Force (STF), DRG and anti-naxal battalion of the Border Security Force had carried out an operation in the border areas of Kanker and Narayanpur in the North Bastar region. This operation had lasted nearly 3 days and eliminated three women Maoists from Partapur Area Committee of the North Bastar division and company number five of PLGA.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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