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The Wire
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Six Maoists Including Battalion One Chief Shot Dead in Bastar Ahead of Martyrdom Week
Hyderabad: After a brief lull in their gun battle, the police shot dead six Maoists, including four women, on Friday (July 18) in an alleged encounter close to where party supremo Nambala Kesava Rao fell to their bullets in Abhujmad forest of Narayanpur district in Chhattisgarh on May 21. Thursday's encounter, which claimed the lives of six members of the dreaded Battalion One of People's Liberation Guerilla Army, the most dangerous unit of CPI (Maoist), dealt another deadly blow to the party. It took place after uneasy calm in the contiguous forest of Chhattisgarh since the previous one on June 7, when seven comrades, including a Central Committee member Sudhakar and two Telangana State committee members Bhaskar and Bandi Prakash, were shot down. It was more than 24 hours after the encounter that the police declared the identity of the slain Maoists on Saturday evening. The Inspector General of Police of Bastar region, Sundarraj P, issued a press release saying the slain Maoists were identified as Rahul Punem alias Latchu Punem, commander of Battalion One of PLGA and a Bastar Divisional Committee member, and PLGA members Ungi Tati, Manisha, Tati Meena alias Choti, Harish and Kudam Budhri. An AK 47 assault rifle, a self-loading rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered. Battalion One is primarily used for ensuring the safe movement of senior Maoist leaders. The killing of Rahul Punem, who headed the battalion, is a significant setback for the party, the release said, adding that, with this encounter, the total number of Maoists killed in Bastar region in 2025 has gone up to 204. Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Robinson Guria said that based on credible intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoist cadre in Pariya-Kakur jungles of Abhujmad, a joint operation was launched on July 17 by personnel of District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force and the Border Security Force. On July 18, intermittent exchanges of fire took place between the Maoists and the security forces throughout the afternoon. "We are in a decisive phase of eliminating Naxalism from Bastar. Those who are misled by its hollow ideology and continue to obstruct the region's development must surrender. This is the only way to secure their lives and reclaim their dignity. If not, they will face inevitable consequences," said Robinson. The Inspector General Sundarraj P. said "a determined and effective campaign is underway across Bastar division against the banned and illegal CPI (Maoist) outfit. In just the first half of 2005, as many as 204 Maoists have been neutralised in various encounters. Bastar police is committed to continuing this momentum". It is significant that the latest encounter took place days ahead of the "martyrdom week" observed by Maoists every year from July 28-August 3 to commemorate those who died in the party's armed struggle. CPI (Maoist) recently released a press note and a 24-page booklet in Gondi and English calling for the success of the week to counter the dwindling strength of the party and honour the fallen comrades. The note highlighted Bastar as the fulcrum of Dandakaranya, where the outfit suffered its biggest loss with 281 fatalities reported in this area alone in the past year. Overall, the party claimed that 357 Naxalites were killed in encounters since the launch of 'Operation Kagar' on January 1 last year. They included 136 women, four central committee members and 15 state committee members. The encounters ran alongside sustained counter-insurgency efforts and attractive rehabilitation packages. The combined strategy has significantly impacted the Maoist movement. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai last week in a post on X said that 1,521 Maoists have surrendered in the state in the past 15 months. On an average, three Maoists have surrendered every day during the period. He called it "a strong indicator of the increasing reach and trust of the government in the Maoist affected regions". Sai also wrote "this is not just a surrender, it is a victory of trust – the trust our government has built by taking development to the remotest corners through people-centric schemes. Today, it's not the bullets but the voice of development that can be heard in Bastar". Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran S. Chavan said that all surrendered Maoists will be provided the incentive amount and other facilities at the rate of Rs 50,000 each under the new rehabilitation policy of the government. The stick and carrot policy of Chhattisgarh government had a cascading effect on adjoining Telangana too where surrenders have spiked. In view of the onslaught against them in Chhattisgarh, members of the cadre, who had origins in Telangana but had been posted in Chhattisgarh for party work, looked up to political leaders in Telangana to negotiate their surrender before the police. About 390 such cadre members surrendered this year in Telangana. A top Maoist couple from Chhattisgarh surrendered itself to Ambar Kumar Jha, Commissioner of Police of Ramagundam in Telangana, four days ago. Atram Latchanna, a member of the Telangana State committee of CPI (Maoist) and his wife Atram Aruna had surrendered to him. They hailed from villages under the jurisdictional limits of the commissionerate. While Latchanna led the party activities in Chhattisgarh for over three decades and maintained close contact with top leadership of the party, Aruna worked as the divisional committee secretary of the party in Bastar. The couple was driven in a car by the police from Chhattisgarh when they expressed a desire to surrender to police in Telangana. Latchanna told media persons that he was asked to face the risk when he approached the party leadership to let him surrender. Another couple from Chhattisgarh – Sanjeev, member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee's secretariat, and his wife Perugula Parvathi who was also a member of the committee, surrendered before Commissioner of Police of Rachakonda, G. Sudhir Babu, on July 17. The police official announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh each to the couple. Sanjeev, who spent over four-and-a-half decades underground, was a key member of Jana Natya Mandali (JNM), the cultural troupe of CPI (Maoist) founded by late balladeer Gadar. The couple attracted tribals of Chhattisgarh towards Naxalism with their songs and dances in Hindi, Telugu and Koya languages. Sanjeev had joined the JNM under the leadership of Gadar in 1980 and continued in the organisation till 1986. Thereafter, he joined the ranks of People's War to propagate the ideology of the party through song and dance in villages. After his marriage to Parvathi, the couple was involved in training the cadre of JNM. It took up performances on behalf of CPI (Maoist) after the merger of People's War with the party. Sanjeev survived two encounters with police during his underground life. He was once picked up by the police in a decoy operation when he was admitted for treatment of an injury at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Hyderabad in the early nineties. Then, Additional Superintendent of Police of Warangal A.R. Anuradha, dressed as a doctor and went to his hospital bed to take him into custody on receiving information about his admission.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Friday's encounter killed Maoists in charge of ensuring safe passage to senior leaders, Chhattisgarh police say
Police in Chhattisgarh said that the six Maoists killed in an encounter on Friday were cadres of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) platoon 1 and were responsible for ensuring the safe passage of senior Maoist leaders. The six had a collective bounty of Rs 48 lakh on them, police said. One of the Maoists was identified as Rahul Punem (38), alias Lachhu Punem, from Dalla village in Sukma. He was a Divisional Committee member and commander of platoon 1. Four of the killed Maoists were women, officials said. Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range Sundarraj P said, 'One AK-47 rifle, one SLR rifle, one 12-bore rifle, and 11 BGL launchers, among other weapons, were recovered.' The Superintendent of Police for Narayanpur district, Robinson Guria, said there were multiple challenges during the operation. 'We had to cross several rivers and nullahs that were swollen and deep due to the rainy season. The nearest police camp was around 20-25 km away.' The encounter took place in the Pariya-Kakur forest area in the Abhujmad region near the Maharashtra, Kanker and Narayanpur trijunction. The spot is about 50 km from Narayanpur district headquarters. Abujhmad region is larger than Goa in size and remains 90% unsurveyed. The operation was undertaken by a joint team comprising District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel from Narayanpur, Kanker, Bastar, and Kondagaon districts, Special Task Force (STF) units of Chhattisgarh, and battalions of the Border Security Force (BSF). So far this year, 221 Maoists have been killed in Chhattisgarh.
Hans India
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
23 Naxalites surrender in Chhattisgarh
As many as 23 hardcore Naxalites, including three couples, carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 1.18 crore, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, a senior police official said. The surrendered Naxalites include 11 senior cadres, most of them active in the Peoples' Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion no.1, which is considered the strongest military formation of Maoists, the official said. They turned themselves in before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials, citing their disappointment with 'hollow' Maoist ideology, atrocities committed by Naxalites on innocent tribals and growing internal differences within the banned outfit, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said. He said there were nine women among surrendered cadres. The official said Lokesh alias Podiam Bhima (35), Ramesh alias Kalmu Kesa (23), Kawasi Masa (35), Madkam Hunga (23), Nuppo Gangi (28), Punem Deve (30), Paraski Pandey (22), Madvi Joga (20), Nuppo Lachchu (25), Podiam Sukhram (24) and Dudhi Bheema carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh each. 'Lokesh was a divisional committee member, and eight others were members of the PLGA battalion no.1 formation of Maoists. The development shows that this battalion is weakening, and its members have been continuously quitting Naxalism due to intensified anti-Naxal operations being carried out by security forces on the Sukma-Bijapur inter-district border,' Chavan said. Four other cadres carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, one cadre Rs 3 lakh and seven cadres Rs 1 lakh each, he said. The official said some of the surrendered Naxalities were active in the Aamdai, Jagargunda and Kerlapal area committees of Maoists. All the surrendered Naxalites were provided assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government's policy, he added.
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Chhattisgarh: 23 Maoists with ₹1.18 crore bounty surrender in Sukma district
Raipur: Twenty-three Maoists with a cumulative reward of ₹1.18 crore surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, police said. This comes a day after 22 Maoists with a ₹37.5 lakh bounty, who were active in the Abhujmad forest region, surrendered in Narayanpur district. Some of the 32 Maoists who surrendered on Saturday were active in the Aamdai, Jagargunda, and Kerlapal areas, a police officer said. (Sourced) Around 11 senior Maoist cadres surrendered, including 35-year-old divisional committee member Lokesh, alias Podiam Bhima, and a few others from the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, considered the strongest armed formation of the CPI (Maoist). 'This surrender wave clearly shows that the ideological grip of the Maoist movement is weakening. Their senior cadres are disillusioned with the hollow promises of the outfit, frustrated by violence against innocent tribals, and deeply affected by growing internal factionalism,' inspector general of police of Bastar Range Sundarraj P said. Also Read: Chhattisgarh: Woman Maoist killed in Kanker encounter Other prominent Maoists include Ramesh alias Kalmu Kesa, Kawasi Masa, Madkam Hunga, and Punem Deve, each carrying a reward of ₹8 lakh. 'Four cadres carrying a bounty of ₹5 lakh each, one with a bounty of ₹3 lakh, and seven others with a ₹1 lakh bounty each were also among the 23 Maoists who surrendered their arms,' the officer added. The surrendered Maoists cited atrocities on civilians, lack of direction in the movement, and pressure from continuous security force operations along the Sukma-Bijapur district border as key reasons for laying down arms, Sukma's superintendent of police (SP) Kiran Chavan said. Also Read: Top Maoist sniper killed in Bijapur during anti-naxal operation: Police Some of the 32 Maoists who surrendered on Saturday were active in the Aamdai, Jagargunda, and Kerlapal areas, the officer said. Each Maoist who surrendered received ₹50,000 as immediate assistance and will be rehabilitated under the state government's surrender and rehabilitation policy.
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
23 Naxalites with cumulative bounty of ₹1.18 cr surrender in Chhattisgarh
As many as 23 hardcore Naxalites, including three couples, carrying a cumulative bounty of ₹1.18 crore, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, a senior police official said. 23 Naxalites surrendered in Chhattisgarh(Representative image/PTI) The surrendered Naxalites include 11 senior cadres, most of them active in the Peoples' Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion no.1, which is considered the strongest military formation of Maoists, the official said. They turned themselves in before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials, citing their disappointment with "hollow" Maoist ideology, atrocities committed by Naxalites on innocent tribals and growing internal differences within the banned outfit, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said. He said there were nine women among surrendered cadres. The official said Lokesh alias Podiam Bhima (35), Ramesh alias Kalmu Kesa (23), Kawasi Masa (35), Madkam Hunga (23), Nuppo Gangi (28), Punem Deve (30), Paraski Pandey (22), Madvi Joga (20), Nuppo Lachchu (25), Podiam Sukhram (24) and Dudhi Bheema carried a reward of ₹8 lakh each. "Lokesh was a divisional committee member, and eight others were members of the PLGA battalion no.1 formation of Maoists. The development shows that this battalion is weakening, and its members have been continuously quitting Naxalism due to intensified anti-Naxal operations being carried out by security forces on the Sukma-Bijapur inter-district border," Chavan said. Four other cadres carried a bounty of ₹5 lakh each, one cadre ₹3 lakh and seven cadres ₹1 lakh each, he said. The official said some of the surrendered Naxalities were active in the Aamdai, Jagargunda and Kerlapal area committees of Maoists. All the surrendered Naxalites were provided assistance of ₹50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government's policy, he added. On Friday, 22 Naxalites, who were active in the Abhujmad area and carried a collective bounty of ₹37.5 lakh, surrendered in Narayanpur district.
