Security forces neutralised 10 Maoists, including a high-profile Central Committee member with a Rs 1 crore bounty, during an intense encounter in the dense forests of Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district on Thursday.
The operation, which began as an intelligence-led search, has dealt a severe blow to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), marking another milestone in the government’s push to eradicate Left Wing Extremism by 2026.
The gun battle erupted in the early hours in the Bhaludihi forest area under the Mainpur police station limits, when a joint team of elite units—comprising Gariaband’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA)—ambushed a group of armed rebels. Acting on a precise tip-off about the presence of senior Maoist cadres, the forces cordoned off the area, leading to a fierce exchange of fire that lasted several hours.
Among the deceased was Modem Balakrishna alias Manoj, a 58-year-old native of Warangal district in Telangana. As a key member of the CPI(M)’s Central Committee—the outfit’s second-highest decision-making body after the Politburo—Balakrishna was instrumental in orchestrating attacks and expanding the insurgency across the red corridor.
Raipur Range Inspector General of Police (IG) Amresh Mishra confirmed the casualties, stating, “Ten Naxals have been gunned down, including the dreaded Balakrishna. The operation is still underway with intermittent firing reported, and our teams are exercising utmost caution against possible IED threats.” Mishra added that automatic weapons, explosives, and propaganda materials were recovered from the site, underscoring the Maoists’ intent to disrupt development in tribal areas.
This encounter is part of a broader, coordinated crackdown across Chhattisgarh. In a parallel sweep in neighbouring Bijapur district, security forces arrested 26 active Maoist members, including six with a combined bounty of Rs 13 lakh. The raids, involving DRG Bijapur, local police from Gangaloor, Bhairamgarh, Usur, Awapalli, and Tarrem stations, along with CoBRA’s 205 Battalion and CRPF’s 196 and 62 Battalions, yielded a haul of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), cooker and tiffin bombs, detonators, safety fuses, wires, batteries, digging tools, and banned literature like banners, posters, and pamphlets.
Interrogations revealed the arrested cadres were plotting to plant IEDs along security routes, a tactic frequently used by Maoists to inflict casualties. All 26 have been remanded to judicial custody under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Explosives Act, with cases registered for conspiracy and possession of arms.
The twin operations highlight the intensified momentum in Chhattisgarh’s anti-Maoist efforts.
