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Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
2 top Maoist commanders wanted in 4 states killed in encounter
Raipur: After giving many slips to security forces in various encounters in past two decades, top Maoist commanders of north Bastar region and Rajnandgaon-Kanker border (RKB) division in Chhattisgarh were killed in an encounter with state police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), and 27th battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Wednesday. Briefing the reporters with details, Mohla, superintendent of police Y P Singh and ITBP 27th battalion commandant Vivek Kumar Pandey confirmed the identities of the deceased and described the operation as a significant blow to Maoist influence in the region. The slain Maoist identified as Vijay Reddy, alias Chinanna, alias Naganna, alias Shankar (55), and Lokesh Salame (35). A native of Balarampuram Mandal, Atmakur, Reddy was a senior Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) member and in-charge of the RKB division. For over two decades, he had evaded capture, earning a reputation among locals as the "ghost" of Left Wing Extremism in the area. Reddy was wanted in three states—Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Telangana—with bounties totalling of Rs 90 lakh on his head: Rs 25 lakh each from Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra Police, Rs 20 lakh from Telangana police, and Rs 20 lakh from Andhra Pradesh police. He was a key suspect in the 2009 Rajnandgaon ambush in which then SP Vinod Kumar Chaubey and his policemen were martyred, an attack jointly carried out by Maoist units from Gadchiroli and north Bastar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dementia Has Been Linked To a Common Habit. Do You Do It? Memory Health Click Here Undo He is also believed to have orchestrated multiple civilian killings in the region. The second slain cadre, Lokesh Salame, was serving as secretary of the RKB division since Jan 2025. He was instrumental in mobilising cadres in Rajnandgaon district and later in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district. Salame carried a bounty of Rs 10 lakh from Chhattisgarh police and Rs 16 lakh from Maharashtra police, totalling Rs 26 lakh. Authorities had no photograph of him prior to the encounter. A Turning Point in RKB Division The RKB division has long been a stronghold for Maoist violence. Following the 2009 ambush, the Centre deployed ITBP units to dominate the area. Calling the deaths of Reddy and Salame the "end of an era of terror" in the RKB division, SP Singh urged remaining Maoists to lay down arms and join the mainstream. The gun battle erupted around 5 pm when security forces came under fire from suspected Maoists during an anti-Naxal operation in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district. The firefight lasted nearly three hours. After the guns fell silent, forces recovered the bodies of two senior cadres along with an INSAS rifle, a .303 rifle, a walkie-talkie, daily-use items, and other materials from the site. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Two senior Maoist leaders involved in 2009 Rajnandgaon attack killed in Chhattisgarh encounter
Two senior Maoist leaders allegedly involved in the 2009 killing of 30 policemen – including a senior cop – were gunned down in an encounter in a hilly forest area of Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district in Chhattisgarh's Abujhmad, officials said. The two Maoist leaders have been identified as Vijay Reddy, a Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) member, and Lokesh Salame, a Divisional Committee Member. They were killed in an encounter near Retegaav village some 70 kilometres from the district headquarters. The encounter occurred during a joint operation undertaken by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). According to the police, the two Maoist leaders were allegedly involved in the attack that killed 30 security personnel — including Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar Choubey — in 2009. So far, no weapons have been recovered from the deceased, one police official said. 'The encounter spot is surrounded by a few hills. The forces had surrounded the Maoists and the encounter broke out in the evening and intermittent firing went on for an hour. While some Maoists got away the forces have neutralised two senior cadres,' Superintendent of Police YP Singh, adding that search operations are ongoing to find out if more Maoists were killed. The encounter comes at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah's March 2026 to eradicate Left Wing Extremism in the country looms. Nearly 230 Maoists have been killed in various encounters this year in Chhattisgarh — including 208 in Bastar region.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Two hardcore Maoist commanders worth Rs 35 lakh killed in encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh
RAIPUR: Two hardcore Maoists carrying bounty of Rs 35 lakh, were killed in an encounter with security forces in forests of Mohla–Manpur–Ambagarh Chowki district of Chhattisgarh, bordering Bastar's Kanker district. Those killed were top commanders including Vijay Reddy, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member (DKSZCM) carrying cash reward of Rs 25 lakh and Lokesh Salame, a divisional committee member (DVCM) who carried cash bounty of Rs 10 lakh in Chhattisgarh. Madanwada forests has once again echoed with sounds of gunfire after a brief lull and the encounter took place close to the location where former Rajnandgaon SP Vinod Kumar Chaubey among 28 other policemen was killed on July 29, 2009. Mohla–Manpur–Ambagarh Chowki district SP Y P Singh confirmed to TOI, two Maoists were killed and their bodies recovered by security forces. They were identified as Vijay Reddy (DKSZCM) and Lokesh Salame (DVCM). Maoist Vijay Reddy from Andhra Pradesh cadre was active in Rajnandgaon-Kanker border (RKB) division area for past 12-14 years and was serving as a guiding light for cadres for basic support and command. Lokesh was active from 2008, who had earlier surrendered in Gadhchiroli and was pretending to be leading a normal life with family in Kanker. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo But according to surrendered cadres, he was operating from Kanker for Kotri area committee. Police said that there were specific inputs about presence of senior Maoist commanders among other cadres in forests of Bandapahad, between the villages of Retegaon and Karekatta, in Madanwada region, that borders Kanker. A joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and battalion 27 of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) launched an anti-Naxal operation on Wednesday and have surrounded the area from all sides. Backup teams from nearby camps have rushed in to support the ongoing exchange of fire. Security officials said the operation was conducted under extremely challenging conditions, with heavy rains lashing the forested hills. Officials told TOI that several high-ranking Maoist leaders from the Kanker, Bastar, and Manpur RKB division, were having a large congregation on Bandapahad. This particular region from Bandapahad and Sitagaon was being used by Maoists as a free zone for training and cache site for Company number 5 of the Maoists, and as it borders Kanker, the top rank Maoist have been reigning since long. The location of encounter is 20 kms from Manpur headquarters and 45 kms from Mohla district headquarters. Recently, on Aug 7, a senior Maoist Srikant Punem, worth Rs 8 lakh was arrested in the district, along with a 9 mm pistol's magazine and live rounds of bullets. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
