RAIPUR: A Central Committee (CC) member is believed to be among the 10 Maoist cadres gunned down by the security forces in Gariaband district on Thursday.
The bodies and weapons will be recovered on Friday morning, as the exchange of firing continues close to Matal forested hilly terrain under Manipur police station limits. It is about 60 km from the district headquarters.
“It was a planned operation. Based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of senior cadres of Maoists, a joint team comprising Elite 30 (specially trained Garidaband district police force), CRPF’s elite unit Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and the Special Task Force (STF) left on the operation on Wednesday. The encounter ensued on late Thursday afternoon and continued. Bodies and automatic weapons will be recovered tomorrow morning,” Amresh Mishra, Inspector General of Police (Raipur range) told.
“According to information we received, a Central Committee member of CPI (Maoist) Manoj Balkrishnan is likely among the 10 Maoists killed in the gun battle”, the IG added.
The CC in hierarchy is only next to the Politburo of CPI (Maoist). Balakrishna, alias Balanna, Ramachander was the secretary of the Odisha State Committee (OSC) and had joined the Maoist movement some three decades ago.
There has been no report of any security personnel sustaining injuries in the gun battle.
The search operation by the forces has been simultaneously intensified in the region. Gariyaband, adjoining Odisha state, is among the Maoist-affected districts of Chhattisgarh.
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 the outlawed Maoists. Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared the country will be free from the Maoist problem by March 2026.
