Maoist With Rs 1 Crore Bounty Among 20 Killed, Amit Shah Says "Naxalism Is Breathing Its Last"

At least 20 Naxalites including a Maoist, who had a bounty of Rs 1 crore, were killed in an encounter with Chhattisgarh Police at Chhattisgarh-Odisha border on Tuesday.

Senior leader Jayam Reddy aka Chalpati was shot dead in the operation which was carried out by the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), CoBRA from Chhattisgarh and Special Operation Group (SOG). AK 47, SLR, INSAS and other automatic weapons have been recovered.

Amit Shah, who has vowed to eliminate Naxalism by March 2026, has declared that the encounter that it is "another mighty blow to Naxalism".

"Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SoG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border," he said in a post on X.

"With our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today," the Home Minister added.

Naxal Attack In Narayanpur District

Four days ago, an improvised explosive device (IED) attack by Naxals left two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel injured in Narayanpur district, Chhattisgarh.

The attack occurred during the morning hours as a BSF road-opening party was being deployed between Camp Garpa and Garpa village, confirmed Narayanpur SP Prabhat Kumar. Officials stated that more details about the incident would be shared later.

This follows a similar incident on January 16, when two CRPF jawans were injured in a pressure IED blast planted by Naxalites near Putkel village under the Basaguda police station in Bijapur district.

Earlier, on January 12, five Naxalites, including two women, were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Bijapur district's National Park area. Several weapons, including an SLR rifle, a 12-bore rifle, a BGL launcher, and explosives, along with Maoist literature, were recovered during the operation.

Bastar IG P. Sundarraj stated, "In the South Bastar encounter on January 16, the bodies of 12 Naxalites, including 5 women, were recovered. A large cache of arms and ammunition was seized as well. We are making progress in our mission to combat Naxalism."

The incidents highlight the persistent security challenges in the region and the ongoing efforts of security forces to tackle Naxal violence.