Two top-ranking Naxal leaders were neutralised in a major encounter with security forces in the dense Abhujmad forests, situated near the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, on Monday. The slain insurgents were identified as Central Committee Members Raju Dada, also known as Katta Ramachandra Reddy, and Kosa Dada, also known as Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy. Both men had long been on the radar of security agencies and carried rewards of ₹40 lakh each for their capture, reflecting their importance within the Maoist hierarchy. The operation, carried out in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, is being described as a significant blow to the Naxalite movement in the region.
Following the encounter, the forces recovered a sizeable cache of arms and incriminating material from the site. Among the items seized were an AK-47 rifle, an INSAS rifle, a BGL (Barrel Grenade Launcher), large quantities of explosives, Naxal literature, and other materials that indicated the operational base of the insurgents. Officials confirmed that the recovered items will be thoroughly examined for intelligence inputs to assist in tracking down other Naxal units operating in the area.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the success of the operation in a post on X, calling it a decisive victory against left-wing extremism. He stated that security forces have once again demonstrated their resolve by eliminating two senior members of the Naxal Central Committee. Shah further emphasised that the ongoing operations are systematically targeting the leadership structure of the Maoists, thereby “breaking the backbone of red terror” in India. His remarks underlined the government’s long-term strategy of not just containing but dismantling the insurgency by striking at its core leadership.
This development comes on the heels of another high-impact anti-Naxal operation conducted just a week earlier. On September 15, the CRPF’s CoBRA Battalion, in coordination with Jharkhand Police, launched an intelligence-based offensive in Karandi village near the Giridih-Bokaro border. The operation, which began early in the morning, led to the elimination of three senior Maoist leaders. The main target, Sahdeo Soren, a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist) who carried a bounty of ₹1 crore, was killed along with two associates — Raghunath Hembram, with a reward of ₹25 lakh, and Birsen Ganjhu, with a bounty of ₹10 lakh.
After the Jharkhand encounter, Amit Shah had declared that Naxalism had been entirely wiped out from the Bokaro region, stressing that the government’s mission is to eradicate Maoist influence across the country. With the latest success in Abhujmad, security officials view the coordinated operations in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand as evidence of a sustained campaign that is steadily eroding the strength and leadership of the Maoist insurgency. Together, these operations signal a critical phase in India’s fight against left-wing extremism, with the focus firmly placed on uprooting its leadership and cutting off its influence in vulnerable regions.
