New Delhi: Senior Maoist leader Nambala Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraju, was among 27 killed in a major anti-naxal operation carried out Wednesday in Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad area.
Confirming his death, Union Minister Amit Shah wrote on X: “A landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism. Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralized 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, topmost leader, and the backbone of the Naxal movement.”
This is the first time in three decades of “Bharat’s battle against Naxalism” that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralised by the security forces, Shah further wrote, lauding them for what he said was a “major breakthrough”.
“Also glad to share that after completion of Operation Black Forest, 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. The Modi government is resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026,” he added.
A landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism. Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralized 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, topmost leader, and the…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 21, 2025
Basavaraju held the highest position in the CPI (Maoist) hierarchy as its general secretary. Born in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, he was the head of the central military commission before his elevation to the politburo.
A former engineer, he is the number one target on the most wanted list of police in Chhattisgarh and other Naxal-affected states, carrying a reward of Rs 1 crore. He is also credited with strengthening the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the CPI (Maoist), formed in 2000 after the merger of several splinter groups.
One District Reserve Guard (DRG) team member was killed and few other security personnel sustained injuries in the latest encounter. This comes days after a 21-day anti-Naxal operation along the Karegutta Hills on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border led to the killing of 31 Maoists, including 16 women, completely dislocating their top leadership.
According to police sources, the DRG, a specialised unit of the Chhattisgarh Police, received intelligence inputs about a congregation of Central Committee and Politburo members of the Naxals, as well as senior Maad Division cadres and those of People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), in Abujhmad area.
Following the inputs, teams from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon were dispatched to Abujhmad for the operation that went on for 72 hours inside the thick jungles of the region.
Abujhmad, locally referred to as the “unknown hills”, is a region characterised by a rocky terrain, dotted with rivers and rivulets, and little-to-no road, transport or mobile connectivity.
“The teams had specific inputs about the congregation and followed the leads deep inside the jungles. Till Orchha, they could by vehicle but were on foot after that. The operation went on for three days,” a police source confirmed.
Inspector General, Bastar, Sundarraj P told ThePrint that so far, a total of 27 bodies of Naxals and a large number of sophisticated weapons were recovered during the operation.
Although he did not confirm the death of Basavaraju, Sundarraj said that it is estimated that several senior-level Naxal cadres have either been killed or seriously injured. “A confirmation on the identity of these leaders can be given once the operation ends,” he said.
“Despite difficult geographical conditions and multiple challenges, the security forces are advancing this decisive campaign against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) with full commitment and determination,” the IG said. “All the injured have been given immediate medical attention and are now out of danger.”
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), LWE has been on a downward trajectory, with 126 districts across nine states reporting incidents in 2010, when at its peak, and just 38 districts reporting incidents in April 2024.
In the past year alone, security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar killed 217 suspected Maoists in as many as 123 encounters, arrested 929 others and registered 419 cases. This year, 81 suspected Maoists have been killed till February.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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