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Indian Express
23-06-2025
- Indian Express
Man killed in last month's encounter was a govt school cook, officials say; police maintain Maoist link
A 38-year-old tribal man, who was among the seven killed in an encounter between Maoists and security forces at Indravati National Park in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on June 5, worked as a cook in a government school in the local village for over a year, officials said. Police have said all seven of those killed were Maoists, including the cook, Mahesh Kudiyam. Kudiyam, from Irpagutta village, was a cook at a local school and also a member of the CPI (Maoist)'s National Park area committee, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, police said. His family, however, denied the allegations and told Bastar-based YouTube channel, Bastar Talkies, that he was killed while he was out grazing cattle. Bijapur Collector Sambit Mishra said an impartial magisterial inquiry was being conducted into the incident. After the exchange of fire on June 5, the body of a member of the Maoists' Central Committee, Sudhakar alias Gautam, was recovered on the same day. Over the next two days, six more bodies were recovered, including that of the Maoists' Telangana State Committee (TSC) member, Bhaskar, as well as Kudiyam. An official from the Bijapur education department confirmed to The Indian Express that Kudiyam was a cook at a local school in the National Park area and was hired in September 2023, drawing a salary of Rs 2,000 per month. The official said that due to summer holidays, he was on leave. An official statement released by Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, also said Kudiyam was a cook at the school, but maintained that he was also a Maoist. 'During inquest proceedings, it was confirmed that Mahesh Kodiyam was a party member of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation operating in the National Park Area division, and he had clear links with the proscribed group. It has also come to light that Mahesh Kodiyam was working as a cook assistant at the primary school in Irpagutta village. His appointment had been made by the village school management committee, and he was being paid remuneration for this role until March 2025. The circumstances under which Mahesh Kodiyam came into contact with senior Maoist leaders, like Central Committee member Gautam and State Committee member Bhaskar, are currently under investigation. A thorough, impartial, and professional inquiry is being conducted into all aspects of the case.' The statement also urged individuals 'directly or indirectly associated with the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation to immediately sever all such ties'. It said, 'Continued association with this extremist outfit poses a serious threat not only to public safety and regional peace but also to the lives and future of those involved.' However, Kudiyam's wife, brothers and some local residents spoke to the Bastar Talkies YouTube channel and claimed he was not a Maoist. 'Kudiyam was just a cook and a peon in the school. On the day of the encounter, he had gone to graze his cattle,' local resident Irma Vela told the channel. Kudiyam's wife, Sumitra, appealed to the government to provide support to the family as he was the sole breadwinner. The couple had seven children. Sumitra told the channel, 'How will I raise these children by myself?' One of his four brothers, Ajay, said, 'I have studied up to class 6. I do not know what happened. I worked as a coolie in Andhra. I came (days) later and learnt he had gone to graze buffalo and was killed.'
The Hindu
22-06-2025
- The Hindu
Man killed in anti-Naxal operation is not Maoist, was a govt. school cook, says family
The family members of a 38-year-old man killed in an anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur earlier this month have claimed that he was not a Maoist. The family and other residents in Irpagutta village say Mahesh Kudiyam used to work as a cook in a government school for more than a year. The police had declared that Kudiyam was a Naxalite with ₹1 lakh bounty. Kudiyam was among the seven alleged Maoists killed by the security forces in Indravati National Park area in Bijapur in an operation in which CPI (Maoist) central committee member (CCM) Sudhakar alias Gautam and Telangana State committee (TSC) member Bhaskar were among the killed. The operation lasted for several days and multiple encounters were reported on June 5, 6 and 7. On June 10, the police issued a press release stating that one of the slain men was identified as Mahesh Kudiyam. They had described him as a party member from the National Park area committee of Maoists who had a reward of ₹1 lakh on his arrest. However, speaking with a Bastar-based YouTube channel, Bastar Talkies, Kudiyam's wife and brothers said the man was not a Maoist. Irma Vela, a local resident, told the channel that Kudiyam was just a cook and a peon in the village government school. According to one of Kudiyam's brothers, the man had gone to graze his cattle on the day of the encounter. The family also shared images of a bank passbook showing purported transactions documenting Kudiyam receiving his remuneration from the government. Kudiyam's wife Sumitra expressed concerns about raising the couple's seven children on her own, with her husband, the sole breadwinner of the family, now dead. Police's response While the police acknowledged that Kudiyam had worked as a government school cook, they maintained that he was a Maoist. An official statement released by Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, reads, 'During inquest proceedings, it was confirmed that Mahesh Kodiyam was a party member of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation operating in the National Park Area division, and he had clear links with the proscribed group. It has also come to light that Mahesh Kodiyam was working as a cook assistant at the primary school in Irpagutta village. His appointment had been made by the village school management committee, and he was being paid remuneration for this role until March 2025.' It further stated, 'The circumstances under which Mahesh Kodiyam came into contact with senior Maoist leaders such as Central Committee member Gautam and State Committee member Bhaskar are currently under investigation. A thorough, impartial, and professional inquiry is being conducted into all aspects of the case. Police once again urges all individuals directly or indirectly associated with the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation to immediately sever all such ties. Continued association with this extremist outfit poses a serious threat not only to public safety and regional peace but also to the lives and future of those involved.' On Kudiyam's recruitment as a government cook despite his alleged association with a banned outfit, Bastar Collector Sambit Mishra told The Hindu that such appointments are made on ad-hoc basis and the process is decentralized. 'It is the school management committees which hire them and no police verification is done. We have asked the block education officer for a report in this case,' he said.
Mint
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Seven Maoists, including two top leaders killed during first week of June in major operation in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur
During the first fortnight of June 2025, Security forces launched a major operation against Maoist insurgents in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, leading to the deaths of seven Maoists, including two high-ranking leaders of the CPI (Maoist) after a series of fierce encounters in the National Park area, police said on Saturday. Gautam alias Sudhakar, a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist), and Bhaskar Rao, a State Committee member of the CPI (Maoist) were two top Maoist leaders among those killed. The bodies of those were recovered following fire exchanges between security personnel and Maoist cadres, the official release said. Another recovered body has been identified as Mahesh Kodiyam, a resident of Irpagutta village under the jurisdiction of Farsegarh Police Station in Bijapur District. During the inquest proceedings, it was confirmed that Mahesh Kodiyam was an active member of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation, operating in the National Park Area division, and had established links with the proscribed group, the statement mentioned. It came to be known that Mahesh Kodiyam used to work as cook assistant at the primary school in Irpagutta village. The village school management committee had designated him, and he was being paid remuneration for this role until March 2025, it said. According to the release, authorities are currently investigating the circumstances under which Mahesh Kodiyam came into contact with senior Maoist leaders, including Central Committee member Gautam and State Committee member Bhaskar. A comprehensive, unbiased, and professional inquiry is underway, covering all facets of the case. The police have once again appealed to all individuals who are directly or indirectly linked to the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation to immediately cut all ties. They emphasised that continued involvement with this extremist group endangers public safety, disrupts regional peace, and jeopardizes the lives and futures of those associated with it.
