Chhattisgarh: Woman Maoist leader with Rs 5 lakh bounty dies in encounter
Last senior Telugu cadre in Bastar killed by security forces days after the state was declared free of armed Maoists; forces recover arms, carry out search operation
Kanker (Chhattisgarh), Apr 13 (PTI) A woman Maoist carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Monday, police said.
The deceased, identified as Rupi, was an area committee member of the Maoists and is believed to be the last senior Telugu cadre active in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, which comprises seven districts, including Kanker, they said.
The face-off comes 12 days after the government declared Chhattisgarh free of armed Maoists on March 31.
Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, said the government has been continuously appealing to Maoists to surrender and avail rehabilitation benefits, leading to a significant number opting to return to the mainstream in recent months.
However, some cadres, including Rupi, continued on the path of violence, which ultimately led to such outcomes, he noted.
The gunfight broke out in the morning at a forest near Machpalli village on the border of Chhotebethiya-Partapur police station areas, when a team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of cadres, Kanker Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha said.
After guns fell silent, Rupi's body was recovered from the spot along with a pistol, explosives and other materials, he said, adding that a search operation was still underway in the area.
According to police, Rupi was the wife of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member Vijay Reddy, who was killed in an encounter last year in the Manpur-Mohla-Ambaragrh Chowki district area.
IG Sundarraj P appealed to the remaining Maoist cadres to abandon violence and rejoin the mainstream, stating they have limited time left to choose a peaceful and dignified life.
With the latest action, at least 28 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year.
Last year, security forces killed 285 Maoists in encounters across the state. The Centre had set March 31, 2026, as the deadline to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism from the country. PTI