Six Maoists, including two senior leaders, were killed in an intense encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on November 11, police confirmed on Thursday. The gunfight occurred deep inside the forests of Indravati National Park, and the slain cadres together carried a total bounty of Rs 27 lakh, according to Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Yadav.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) P. Sundarraj said the joint operation was launched after receiving intelligence on the movement of CPI (Maoist) operatives in the region. Personnel from the Bijapur and Dantewada District Reserve Guards (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and other units participated in the mission. “Multiple exchanges of fire took place, after which the bodies of six Maoists — including three women — were recovered from the site,” he said.
The slain Maoists were identified as Kanna, divisional committee member and head of the Central Area Committee; Jagat, area committee member; and cadres Mangali, Bhagat, Urmila, and Deve. Police recovered a significant cache of arms, including AK-47 rifles, LMGs, INSAS rifles, and ammunition. “Our forces displayed exemplary courage and coordination. The recovery of such high-grade weapons underscores the scale of the Maoist presence in the area,” Sundarraj added.
SP Jitendra Yadav described Kanna alias Buchanna (35) as one of the most feared Maoist leaders in South Bastar. Carrying an Rs 8 lakh reward, he was wanted in 42 cases, including 18 pending warrants, and accused of masterminding major attacks, such as the 2008 Kongupalli police post ambush and the 2016 Nuknarpal camp assault. “His death marks the end of a violent chapter in Bastar’s insurgency,” Yadav said.
Another slain cadre, Urmila, also carried an Rs 8 lakh bounty and served as secretary of the Pamed Area Committee, among the most violent Maoist zones. She managed logistics for the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), overseeing supplies of food, medicine, and uniforms, and was a key figure in recruitment and ideological propagation. Her death, police said, is a major blow to the Maoist logistics network.
From the encounter site, security forces seized two INSAS rifles with five magazines (68 rounds), one 9mm carbine with three magazines (22 rounds), one .303 rifle, a 12-bore gun, a single-shot rifle, radio sets, grenades, scanners, explosives, Maoist literature, uniforms, and medical kits.
According to police data, 144 Maoists have been killed, 499 arrested, and 560 have surrendered in Bijapur district so far this year. Across the Bastar division, security operations over the past 20 months have resulted in the recovery of 447 Maoist bodies.
IG Sundarraj stated that the state’s intensified counter-insurgency efforts are steadily dismantling the Maoist network. “Our objective is clear — a peaceful, Naxal-free Bastar. The Maoist organisation stands cornered and must now choose between surrender and annihilation,” he said.
