Security forces killed top Maoist Central Committee member Sudhakar in an encounter in Indravati Tiger Reserve, Bijapur in Chhattisgarh.
Sudhakar, active in Naxal operations for 30 years, carried a Rs 50 lakh bounty on his head.
The joint operation was conducted by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) after receiving intelligence about the presence of senior Maoist leaders in the area. In the past six months, security forces have eliminated three Central Committee members, including Naxal chief Basavaraju, along with over 150 high-profile Naxals across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a March 2026 deadline for eradicating Maoist insurgency in India. Security forces have neutralised 202 Maoists this year, with 185 in the Bastar region alone. The latest encounter strengthens India’s ongoing mission to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).
