Security forces in Chhattisgarh eliminated two top Maoist leaders, carrying a combined bounty of Rs 80 lakh, during an encounter in Narayanpur’s Abhujmaad forests on Monday, dealing a significant blow to the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoists).
The slain cadres have been identified as Raju Dada alias Katta Ramachandra Reddy (63) and Kosa Dada alias Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy (67), both Central Committee members of the banned outfit. The firefight erupted during a search operation based on intelligence regarding the movement of senior Maoist cadres in the forested region bordering Maharashtra, Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Robinson Guria said.
“Intermittent exchange of fire continued for several hours before the bodies of two male cadres were recovered from the spot,” the SP added.
From the encounter site, security personnel recovered an AK-47, an INSAS rifle, a barrel grenade launcher (BGL), a large cache of explosives, Maoist literature, and daily-use materials. The duo had been active in the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, overseeing Maoist activities across Bastar for over three decades. They are credited with orchestrating numerous violent incidents in Bastar, claiming the lives of security personnel and civilians alike.
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“Raju Dada was also known by aliases Gudsa Usendi, Vijay, Vikalp, while Kosa Dada was also known as Gopanna and Buchanna. They were carrying rewards of Rs 40 lakh each on their heads in Chhattisgarh. Details regarding criminal records and rewards announced by other states and agencies are being collected,” Guria noted.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P described the operation as a decisive setback for the banned Maoist outfit. “Despite difficult terrain and adverse weather, police and security forces in Bastar remain steadfast in their commitment, working in line with the vision of the Union and Chhattisgarh governments as well as the aspirations of the people of Bastar,” he said. Sundarraj urged the ultras to shun violence and avail themselves of the government’s surrender and rehabilitation scheme.
The latest encounter brings the toll of Naxalites killed in Chhattisgarh this year to 249, with 220 eliminated in the Bastar division, 27 in Gariaband district, and two in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district of Durg division. Earlier, on September 11, ten Naxalites, including Central Committee member Modem Balakrishna, were killed in Gariaband.
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