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A Maoist carrying a Rs 1 crore bounty was among 20 killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district last night with Union Home Minister Amit Shah calling the operation a "major success".
Jayaram Reddy, a senior Maoist leader also known as Chalapati, was killed in the exchange of fire that took place in a forest along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border.
A joint team of security personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), CoBRA from Chhattisgarh and Special Operation Group (SOG) from Odisha were involved in the operation.
The operation was launched based on intelligence about the presence of Maoists in the Kularighat reserve forest of Chhattisgarh, just five kilometres from the border of Odisha's Nuapada district.
A large cache of firearms, ammunition and IEDs, including a self-loading rifle, were recovered from the encounter site, an official said. A massive search operation is underway in the area.
Amit Shah On Maoist Encounter
Amit Shah, who has vowed to eradicate Maoists by March 2026, called the encounter "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 posted on X.
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. With our resolve for a Naxal-free…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 21, 2025
"With our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today," Mr Shah added.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also praised the security forces and said that under the double-engine government (the BJP government at the Centre and the state), Chhattisgarh will get rid of the Maoists by March 2026.
The security forces have been "continuously achieving success" and "moving rapidly" towards fulfilling the target, he said.
"This success of the soldiers is commendable. I salute their bravery," Mr Sai posted on X.
About 40 Maoists have so far been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh this year.
Chalapati: The Senior Maoist Killed In Encounter
Chalapati, who was a resident of Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor, was a senior member of the central committee of the Maoists, which is the highest decision-making body within the group. He was known for his activities in the dense forests of Abujhmad in Chhattisgarh's Bastar.
Aged around 60, he relocated his base a few months ago due to the increasing frequency of encounters in the Abujhmad area and shifted near the Odisha border, seeking a safer operational zone, sources said.
Chalapati played a key role in strategizing and leading operations for the Maoists.
His security detail consisted of 8 to 10 personal guards.
Chalapati, who carried a reward of Rs 1 crore for information leading to his capture, was considered a high-value target by security forces.
Over 200 Maoists Killed In 2024
More than 200 Maoists were killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh in 2024. Among 219 Maoists killed last year, 217 were from the Bastar region, which comprises Bastar, Dantewada, Kanker, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon and Sukma districts.
Over 800 Maoists were also arrested, while about 802 laid down their arms.
About 18 security personnel lost their lives in the fight against Maoists in 2024, while the number of civilians killed in Maoist violence stood at 65.