RAIPUR: Three cadres of CPI (Maoists) were killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces in Chhattisgarh’s strife-torn Dantewada district, about 450 km south of Raipur on Tuesday, the Bastar police said.
“Based on specific inputs about the presence of Maoists along the forested terrain of Girsapara, Nelgoda, Bodga and Ikeli villages close to inter-district border area of Dantewada-Bijapur, a team of Dantewada District Reserve Guards (DRG) and Bastar Fighters launched an anti-Maoist operation. At around 8 am, an encounter broke out between the ultras and the security forces. So far, three bodies of male Maoists and weapons besides explosives have been recovered”, said Gaurav Rai, Dantewada district police chief.
The recovered arms recovered from the spot included an INSAS assault rifle, a 303 rifle, explosive materials besides items of daily use.
One of the Maoists killed has been identified as Sudhir alias Sudhakar alias Murli, resident of Warangal in Telangana. He was carrying a bounty of Rs 25 lakh on his head and was active senior cadre of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the CPI (Maoist). The other two bodies are yet to be identified. The search operation for Maoists intensified in the region, which was long considered to be their safe shelter.
There has been no report of any security personnel sustaining injuries in the encounter. This year, 116 bodies of Maoists have been recovered so far in various encounters in Chhattisgarh, including 100 killed in Bastar. Tuesday’s encounter in Dantewada is the fourth against the Maoists this month in Bastar division.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has declared that the country will be Maoist-free by March 31, 2026. The series of encounters against the left-wing extremists remains a part of the renewed strategy to free the Chhattisgarh state from the influence of Maoist.
Dantewada, among the seven Maoist-affected districts in Bastar zone, is considered as an epicentre of Red rebels in south Chhattisgarh.
