Raipur: A high-ranking Maoist leader carrying a bounty of Rs1 crore was gunned down by joint security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district on Tuesday early hours. The overnight operation also led to the killing of 14 Maoists in the forested area along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border.
Gariaband Superintendent of Police (SP) Nikhil Rakhecha confirmed the killing of 14 Maoists in an encounter that started late Monday night.
Rakhecha said, “Jairam Reddy a member of Central Committee of the banned outfit CPI-Maoist has been killed in the encounter. He carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head.”
The SP further added that they are trying to identify the other killed Maoist members in the gunbattle.
According to the Rakecha the anti-insurgency was launched on January 19 after they had received inputs regarding Maoist members and a few senior leaders were camping in Gariaband forest.
He added that Maoist rebels opened fire at the joint security forces including Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Odisha’s Special Operations Group (SOG), and the Chhattisgarh Police as the team neared their camp.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the development as a significant step in the fight against insurgency and in a post on X he wrote, “Another mighty blow to Naxalism. Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SOG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border.”
He further emphasized, “With the resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of the security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today.”
This operation marks a critical milestone in the ongoing efforts to eradicate Naxalism and restore peace in insurgency-affected areas.
