Security forces kill top Maoist leader Sudhakar in Bijapur, 4th to be eliminated this year
The overall casualty in the operation is yet to be determined, officials said to ThePrint, requesting anonymity.
The senior Maoist cadre has been identified as Tentu Laxmi Narsimha Chalam, alias Goutham or Sudhakar (66). The exchange of fire was still underway till Thursday afternoon, but forces recovered his body during a brief search operation.
New Delhi: In another major success in the ongoing anti-Naxal operations, security forces Thursday killed another member of the Central Committee of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the national park area of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, ThePrint has learnt.
Sudhakar, a native of Andhra Pradesh's Eluru district, was recently promoted as a central committee member and was in-charge of the education department of the banned outfit, show police records. He had joined the Maoist outfit back in 1995 and was also in-charge of its Kranthi magazine in the Central Regional Bureau, a key coordinating body within the CPI-Maoist.
Thursday's encounter was launched based on verified inputs on the presence of senior Maoist cadres including Sudhakar, one Telangana State Committee member Bandi Prakash, and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member Pappa Rao in the national park area, said Bastar Range IG Sundarraj Pattilingam in a statement.
'The inputs indicated the presence of Central Committee member Gautam @Sudhakar, Telangana State Committee member Bandi Prakash, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member Pappa Rao, and a few other armed Maoist cadres. Acting on this input, joint troops of STF/ DRG and CoBRA were launched for the search in the area,' he said.
'Preliminary reports suggest a strong possibility of major success for the security forces in the ongoing anti-Naxal operation in the National Park area of Bijapur,' he added.
Sudhakar has become the fourth central committee member of the Maoist to have been eliminated so far this year. This comes just a fortnight after the security forces killed Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary and the chief of the CPI (Maoist).
Before Basavaraju was killed in an encounter in the Abujhmad forest by a joint team of District Reserve Guards (DRGs) from Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada, security forces had also eliminated Chalapathi on the Chhattisgarh–Odisha border in Gariaband district in January.
Another central committee member Prayag Manjhi was killed in April in Jharkhand's Bokaro district by forces composed of troops from Jharkhand Special Task Force and CRPF.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: Citing precedent, Bastar IG says CPI (Maoist) unlikely to get new gen secy after Basavaraju
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Fadnavis first Maha CM to set foot on Abujmarh foothills, says Kawande hamlet is bridge to deliver governance
1 2 3 4 Gadchiroli: In a historic step, Devendra Fadnavis on Friday became the first Maharashtra chief minister to set foot on the foothills of Abujmarh, the once booby-trapped Maoist headquarters and the nerve-centre of the self-styled 'jantana sarkar' of the guerrillas. He touched down at Kawande, a remote village on Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, where the Maoists till a year ago, ran a parallel administration, collected taxes, and operated kangaroo courts. Kawande has now emerged as a symbol of transformation of Gadchiroli, marked by the dismantling of Maoist influence and infrastructure and its integration into mainstream governance, say security experts. Fadnavis also oversaw the surrender of 12 hardened Maoists, carrying rewards exceeding ₹1 crore in Gadchiroli. However, top Maoist ideologue Bhupathi alias Sonu, who had appealed to the Centre for a ceasefire, remained elusive. Lauding security forces, the CM said, "I appeal to the guerrillas still holed up in the forests to give up arms." Fadnavis also attended a collective wedding ceremony of 13 former Maoists, blessing the couples as they embraced mainstream life. Security experts told TOI that the mass surrender was testament to relentless efforts of Gadchiroli's anti-Naxalite security apparatus, which built police outposts like Kawande in 24 hours deep inside the liberated zones of guerrillas. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Addressing the elite C-60 commandos, Fadnavis said, "Kawande is not just a police post, but a bridge to deliver governance to the people. The establishment of six security outposts in two years, transformed areas once under the jantana sarkar's shadow into centres of state authority. Our fight against Naxalism is in its final phase and we have set a deadline of March 2026 to wipe out the menace," he said, crediting Shah's stringent measures and the leadership of the Gadchiroli police. To bolster security infrastructure, 19 vehicles, including bulletproof ones, were handed over to the police, funded through the District Planning and Development Committee. The commandos too have been armed with advanced AK-103 rifles and ASMI pistols. Coordination with local communities and focus on intelligence-driven operations have neutralised 28 Maoists, arrested 31, and 44 have surrendered in 18 months. Fadnavis also conducted a drone inspection of a 120-meter-long interstate bridge over the Korma Nala on State Highway 380, with a ₹10.7 crore budget, aimed at connecting Maharashtra with Chhattisgarh. This infrastructure, monitored by DIG Ankit Goyal, will enhance accessibility in areas once isolated by Maoist control. At a beneficiary meet, Fadnavis engaged with locals, distributed benefits under schemes like Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana, and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Unqualified doctor performed more than 50 cardiac procedures in now closed Faridabad centre
Chandigarh: A fake cardiologist allegedly performed more than 50 heart procedures at a now-defunct cardiac care centre in Haryana's Faridabad, exposing serious lapses in medical oversight and triggering a criminal investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Sources claimed that the impostor — referred to as a 'Munnabhai' doctor, in reference to the Bollywood character known for posing as a doctor fraudulently — was in fact a general medical practitioner. He is accused of faking the identity and registration number of a real cardiac specialist who shares the same name and practises in Faridabad. A private operator running the cardiac care centre had hired the bogus doctor under a public-private partnership (PPP) model at the civil hospital in Faridabad. Authorities concened say he began working at the centre in July 2023, and was involved in a growing number of procedures before the scandal came to light when several of his patients failed to recover and began returning for follow-ups — only to find that he had stopped showing up. Concerned attendants used the registration number he had been operating under, 28482, to contact the actual cardiologist, who held a different registration number, 2456, and had no connection with the centre. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Authorities have identified at least 50 patients, so far, as having undergone procedures by the impostor. Some have submitted complaints through the CM Window, the Haryana chief minister's grievance portal. The cardiac centre, which had scaled down operations already, was shut down formally in Feb under a health department action. Further scrutiny revealed that govt payments under public health schemes to the centre had been suspended previously due to earlier red flags. A company official associated with the group HR said: "We came to know about this through during the police investigation into some complaint. Police are yet to share their findings with us. Once we have those, we shall also lodge a formal complaint against the doctor. Rest, he was sacked upon failing to respond to our show-cause notices." Flatline of trust While Dr Manish Bansal, Haryana's director general of health services, declined to comment, Faridabad civil surgeon Dr Jayant Ahuja said the matter was under ACB investigation and pointed out that a private agency, not the health department, handled recruitment. The incident has raised serious concerns about medical credential verification and private sector accountability within public health partnerships in the country. MSID:: 121679281 413 | Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Big blow to guerrilla movement, top commanders surrender
1 2 Nagpur: In a significant blow to the Maoist movement in the Dandakaranya region, 12 senior Maoists surrendered before chief minister Devendra Fadnavis during his visit to Gadchiroli district on Friday. The event, attended by state minister and Gadchiroli's co-guardian minister Ashish Jaiswal, marks a milestone in the state's ongoing efforts to curb Naxalism through its surrender and rehabilitation policy, in place since 2005. The surrendered Maoists include high-ranking members, including Sapna alias Swapnakka Buchayya Chaudhary, 55, a divisional committee member (DVCM) of the Indravati Area, Ramdas alias Somaji Halami, 55, DVCM of Kutul area committee, and Shivlal alias Sukalu Pada, 60, DVCM of Kutul Dalam, among others. The group also comprised commanders, deputy commanders, and members of various Maoist units, hailing from Gadchiroli and neighbouring districts in Chhattisgarh. Since 2005, 704 Maoists have surrendered before Gadchiroli police, reflecting the success of the state's dual approach of security operations and rehabilitation. Earlier this year, on January 1, around 11 hardened Maoists, including Tarakka Sidam of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, had also surrendered before chief minister Fadnavis, further weakening the Maoist stronghold. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Tarakka's husband, Bhupathi alias Sonu, a veteran guerrilla, is yet to surrender despite seeking truce with security forces. CM Fadnavis lauded efforts of the Gadchiroli police and emphasized the importance of rehabilitation in reintegrating former Maoists into society. He also appreciated efforts of Lloyds Metal and Energy Limited (LMEL) and their corporate social responsibility initiatives to rehabilitate surrendered Maoists. Speaking at the felicitation ceremony of C-60 jawans in Gadchiroli, Fadnavis said, "I congratulate Lloyds Metals for training and providing employment to surrendered Maoists, which has increased their confidence. " Being an equal opportunity employer, LMEL has employed 65 surrendered Maoists, who are working in different capacities in the company in Gadchiroli district. Of 13 surrendered Naxalites who tied nuptial knots today, at least seven are working with Lloyds Metals. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
