BHUBANESWAR: In a major anti-Naxal operation, a joint team of Odisha Police and central paramilitary forces killed four Maoists, including top CPI (Maoist) leader Ganesh Uike, during an encounter in Kandhamal district's Chakapada police limits on Thursday.
Uike, 69, a central committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist) and the head of its Odisha operations, carried a reward of over Rs 1.1 crore for his role in several deadly attacks across eastern and central India. His death is expected to weaken the Maoist network in the region.
The encounter took place in the Rambha forest range along the Kandhamal–Ganjam border under Chakapada police limits. The operation involved 20 units of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Odisha Police, two battalions of the CRPF, and a team from the BSF.
The operation began early in the morning and saw multiple exchanges of fire between Maoist and the security forces across the area, ADG (Anti-Naxal Operations), Odisha Sanjeeb Panda said.
After the operation, the security forces confirmed that four Maoists had been neutralised, two of them women, all in uniform. Only Uike was identified.
Originally from Pullemala village of Chendur Mandal in Nalgonda district of Telangana, Uike was one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in India and headed the outfit in Odisha.
Such was Uike’s role in the LWE surge that he carried a Rs 40 lakh reward by Chhattisgarh, Rs 25 lakh each by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, besides Rs 1.1 crore in Odisha. His death will further weaken the Naxal movement in the region where he led the Maoist operations for several years.
Along with Uike, two INSAS rifles and one 303 rifle were also recovered from the site of the encounter. The remaining three Maoists, whose identities have not yet been confirmed, are believed to have been part of Uike's team.
With today’s operation, the security forces have gunned down six Maoists in the last 24 hours.
Union Minister Amit Shah reacted to the encounter in a message posted on 'X', Shah termed it a "significant milestone towards Naxal-free Bharat".
"In a major operation in Kandhmal, Odisha, 6 Naxalites, including Central Committee Member Ganesh Uike, have been neutralised so far.
With this major breakthrough, Odisha stands at the threshold of becoming completely free from Naxalism.
We are resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026," he said.
On Wednesday, two Maoist operatives were killed in Gumma forest area under the Belghar police station of Kandhamal district.
They were identified as Bari alias Rakesh, an area committee member of Rayagada under Bansadhara-Ghumsar-Nagabali (BGN) division and Amrit, who was with Supply Dalam and hailed from Bijapur. They carried a cash reward of Rs 23.65 lakh.
Both Maoists were in civil dress. Security forces later recovered one revolver, one .303 firearm, and a walkie-talkie from the spot.
There has been no casualty on the side of the security forces, and combing operations have been intensified in the area.
The gunfight took place a day after 22 Maoists surrendered before Odisha DGP YB Khurania in neighbouring Malkangiri district.
