RAIPUR: A Maoist commander was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the dense forested hills of the Polampalli area in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, south Bastar on Sunday.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding the presence of Maoist cadres in the remote region, the Sukma District Reserve Guard (DRG) launched a targeted search operation.
“The operation, launched a day before, saw intermittent exchanges of fire between the DRG team and the Maoists on Sunday morning. Following a thorough search of the skirmish site, security personnel recovered the body of a male Maoist along with a cache of weapons and ammunition”, said Kiran Chavan, Sukma district superintendent of police.
The neutralised cadre Muchaki Kailash has been identified as a key operative within the Maoist hierarchy. He was Section Commander, Platoon No 31 of CPI (Maoist) and carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head, the officer added.
He was wanted for multiple counts of civilian killings, direct assaults on security forces, and masterminding IED blasts, the police said.
In the wake of the ongoing operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range), Sundarraj P, issued a stern warning and an appeal to remaining active Maoist cadres. He emphasised that the window for the state’s Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy is rapidly closing.
"The opportunity for Maoist cadres to surrender and seek rehabilitation is now in its final stages. The time remaining to choose this path is extremely limited," the IG stated.
The deadline declared by the Centre to completely eradicate Naxalism from the country is March 31, 2026.