NEW DELHI: A day after eliminating 29 Maoists in the Kanker area of the Bastar division of Chhattisgarh, security forces on Wednesday said they have identified 17 dangerous Naxal operatives to be neutralised. The hit list, prepared under Operation Prahar, includes the dreaded Maoist commander Mandvi Hidma, also known as Hidmalu alias Santosh.
Born in Purvarti village of South Sukma, Hidma has been associated with Naxalism since 2001 and is considered the most dangerous. He runs a strong information network in the entire area and is an expert in using AK-47, sources said. The forces have tracked his location to the Sukma forests in Chhattisgarh, where he is hiding.
Officials said as many as 79 Naxalites have been killed so far this year in separate encounters in the Bastar division of Chhattisgarh, a Maoist stronghold. Of them, 42 Naxal operatives were neutralised in the past 15 days through two major operations.
The main objective of Operation Prahar is to hit top Naxal leaders, who brainwash innocent youth and instigate them to join their ranks. Sources said the Naxals “are now feeling the heat and are on the defensive”, adding the operation will be intensified in the coming days to take it to its logical conclusion.
Commenting on the ongoing operation, Union home minister Amit Shah said: “Operations against Naxals will continue... and we will uproot Naxalism from our nation in a very short period of time.”
Hit List
Name: Active in
1 | Muppala Lakmana Rao: Maad area, Chhattisgarh
2 | Nambla Keshav Rao: Maad area, Chhattisgarh
3 | Mallaraji Reddy: Tri-junction bordering Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh & Odisha
4 | Mallajula Venugopal: Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra forests
5 | Misir Besra: Jharkhand
6 | Chandri Yadav: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh forests
7 | Theepani Thirupati: Chhattisgarh
8 | Akki Raj (Hargopal): Andhra-Odisha border
9 | Kadarat Satyanarayan Reddy: Chhattisgarh border area
10 | Paluri Prasad Rao: Chhattisgarh & Telangana
11 | Modem Balakrishna: Odisha
12 | Ramanna: Chhattisgarh
13 | Sudhakar: Jharkhand
14 | Parvez: Location yet to be ascertained
15 | Asim Mandal: Jharkhand & West Bengal
16 | Hari Bhushan: Chhattisgarh
17 | Mandvi Hidma: Chhattisgarh
