A key woman Maoist leader was killed in a Chhattisgarh encounter, marking a significant blow to Naxalite operations in the Bastar region and underscoring ongoing efforts to combat Left-Wing Extremism.
Key Points
- A woman Maoist leader, Rupi, carrying a Rs 5 lakh reward, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district.
- Rupi was an area committee member and believed to be the last senior Telugu cadre active in the Bastar region.
- The encounter occurred during an anti-Naxalite operation based on intelligence inputs about Maoist presence near Machpalli village.
- Security forces recovered Rupi's body along with a pistol, explosives, and other materials, continuing the search operation.
- Authorities are urging remaining Maoist cadres to surrender and rejoin the mainstream, highlighting limited time for a peaceful life.
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.
Details of the Encounter
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.
Call for Surrender
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.
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