Two Naxalites, including senior cadre Dilip Bedja, were killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Saturday, police said.
The gunfight broke out in the morning in the forested hills of the district’s northwest region, where a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-Naxalite operation based on inputs about the presence of Maoist cadres in the area, Bastar’s Inspector General P Sundarraj, said.
“So far, bodies of two Naxalites and AK-47 weapons have been recovered from the spot,” he said, and added that a search operation is underway.
He said that personnel belonging to the Special Task Force and District Reserve Guard — both units of the Chhattisgarh police, and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action — an elite unit of CRPF) were involved in the operation, which was launched based on inputs about the presence of Bedja, a divisional committee member, in the area.
The identity of the other cadre killed in the firing was yet to be ascertained, the official said. An intermittent exchange of fire was underway until late morning. Bedja was active in the national park area committee of Maoists and had been involved in several attacks, he said.
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 13 filed a chargesheet against the third accused in a case related to an attempt to revive the Naxal Northern Regional Bureau (NRB).
The supplementary chargesheet was filed against Priyanshu Kashyap alias Rakesh alias Nilesh, a resident of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, under sections 13, 18, 20, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
On January 3, as many as 14 Naxalites were gunned down in two encounters in the Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Bijapur, while last year, 285 Naxalites were killed in encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh.
The Centre has adopted a “zero-tolerance” policy against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), also known as Naxalism, with a stated goal to eliminate the menace completely by March 31, 2026. The government’s approach has shifted from a reactive stance to a proactive, multi-dimensional strategy combining targeted security operations, rapid infrastructure development, and a “surrender-cum-rehabilitation” policy to bring cadres into the mainstream.
Also Read: 63 Naxalites, including top cadres, surrender in Chhattisgarh
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