Two top Maoist leaders carrying a bounty of Rs 40 lakh each in Chhattisgarh were killed in an encounter with security personnel in the state’s Narayanpur district on Monday, police officials said.
The two have been identified Raju Dada alias Katta Ramachandra Reddy (63) and Kosa Dada alias Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy (67), both Central Committee members of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoists), they said.
Amit Shah calls it a ‘major victory’:
The operation garnered praise from Union Home Minister Amit Shah who called it a “major victory” for security forces.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed it as a decisive achievement in Chhattisgarh’s fight against Naxalism.
The gun battle broke out this morning in the forest of Abhujmaad, adjoining Maharashtra, when security forces were out on a search operation based on inputs about the movement of senior cadres in the region, 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, he said.
From the encounter site, forces recovered one AK-47 rifle, one INSAS rifle, one BGL (barrel grenade launcher), a huge cache of explosives, Maoist literature, and other daily-use materials, he said.
Who are K Ramachandra Reddy and K Satyanarayana Reddy?
Raju Dada alias Katta Ramachandra Reddy and Kosa Dada alias Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy were natives of Karimnagar in Telangana active in ‘Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee’ of the outlawed movement (which handles Maoist activities in Bastar region) for over three decades, he said.
They masterminded several violent incidents in Bastar, which claimed the lives of security personnel and civilians, the SP said.
“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,” Guria said.
Details regarding criminal records and rewards announced by other states and agencies are being collected, he added.
In a post on X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Today, our security forces have achieved another major victory against the Naxalites. In the Abujhmad region of Narayanpur along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, our forces eliminated two Central Committee Member Naxal leaders – Katta Ramchandra Reddy and Kadri Satyanarayan.” Shah has said on several occasions that Naxalism will be eradicated from the country by March 31 next year.
‘Peace, security and development in Chhattisgarh’:
In a statement, CM Sai said the success in the encounter is not only a decisive step towards the end of Naxalism but also a boost to the ongoing process of peace, security and development in Chhattisgarh.
Congratulating security personnel involved in the operation, he lauded their courage and commitment, saying it is because of their bravery and dedication that the state is marching swiftly on the path of peace and progress.
“Under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the end of Naxalism now appears closer and more certain than ever before. The resolve to achieve a Naxal-free India will surely be realised by March 2026,” Sai asserted.
‘Major setback’:
Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said decisive operations against the banned Maoist outfit have delivered a major setback to the 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.
He asked the ultras to shun violence, return to the mainstream, and avail the benefits of the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.
249 Naxal rebels killed in encounters by security forces:
With the latest action, 249 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year.
Of them, 220 were eliminated in the Bastar division comprising seven districts, while 27 others were gunned down in Gariaband district, which falls in Raipur division. Two other Naxalites were killed in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district in Durg division.
The most notable of the killings has been that of Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju (70), general secretary and top most operative of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), as well as five Central Committee members.
Two Central Committee members have also been killed in Jharkhand and one in Andhra Pradesh this year, as per police.
According to Chhattisgarh police, only nine CC members are left in the banned outfit, including dreaded Maoist commander Madvi Hidma.
On September 11, ten Naxalites, including a Central Committee Member (CCM) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) Modem Balakrishna, were killed in an encounter in the state’s Gariaband district.