In a chilling display of internal paranoia within the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit, a high-ranking cadre was allegedly murdered by his own leader for expressing intentions to surrender to authorities.
The incident, unfolding in the dense forests of Odisha’s Kandhamal district, highlights the growing desperation among Maoist ranks amid intensified police operations.
The victim, identified as Anwesh, was a Divisional Committee Member (DCM) of the KKBN Division’s 8th Company under the CPI (Maoist). Hailing from Bijapur district in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Anwesh carried a bounty of Rs 22 lakh on his head.
According to police sources, he was killed on January 29, 2026, by fellow Maoist leader Shukru, a State Committee Member (SCM), who feared Anwesh’s potential defection could weaken the group and inspire others to follow suit.
The body was discovered and exhumed from the Tarabadi forest area under the Daringbadi police station limits on February 25, 2026, following intelligence inputs. Kandhamal Superintendent of Police (SP), Harisha B. C., addressed a press conference, confirming the details: “Anwesh was buried in the soil after being murdered. We have conducted a post-mortem and registered a murder case at Daringbadi PS. Surrendered Maoists have revealed that Shukru and his associates eliminated him to instil fear among those contemplating surrender.”
The killing comes against a backdrop of mounting pressure on Maoists in Kandhamal, a hotbed of left-wing extremism. Police encounters and anti-insurgency drives have left cadres “terrified,” with many reportedly scouting for safe surrender routes but hesitating due to threats from within.
