Fifteen Naxalites, including a Special Zonal Committee-level member, surrendered to security forces in Chhattisgarh's Mahasamund district, marking a significant development in the state's efforts to combat Naxalism.
'The watershed moment was June 22, 2024, when the divisional in-charge of Gadchiroli, Giridhar Tumreti, who was their senior-most commander, along with his wife, came forward to surrender before the then deputy chief minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis.'
A top Maoist leader carrying a reward of Rs 7 lakh on his head has been arrested from the outskirts of Ranchi, police said on Wednesday
The Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, India, is transitioning away from decades of Maoist conflict, with plans to convert security camps into public infrastructure. A senior Maoist commander recently surrendered, marking a significant step in the government's efforts to eliminate Naxalism.
A senior Maoist leader identified as Anukul Chandra Naskar alias Pareshji, who is also a politburo member of the CPI (Maoist), was arrested by a joint team of the Andhra Pradesh Police and Assam Police.
'The Maoist leadership spread fear that surrender meant torture or death. Once that false narrative collapsed and our operations proved transparent and credible, the surrender momentum became irreversible.' 'From 42,000 square kilometres, Maoist activity is now confined to barely 500-600 square kilometres -- less than two per cent of Bastar. This is their last remaining base area.'
In a blow to the Naxals, top Maoist leader Kanchan has been arrested along with two others from the outskirts of Kolkata. Kanchan, one of the top Maoist leaders after Kishenji, had planned and implemented the Lalgarh movement in November 2008. The Maoist Central committee member, who was wanted in several cases of sedition, was arrested by the Special Task force of the police on Friday. "Yes, we have arrested Kanchan from Kolkata," said a police official.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma met surrendered Naxalites at a rehabilitation center in Sukma, offering them a visit to the state assembly and directing officials to improve their living conditions and opportunities.
210 Maoist cadres, including a Central Committee member, surrendered to authorities in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur, marking the "largest mass surrender" in the state's anti-Naxal operations. The surrendered Naxalites carried a collective bounty of Rs 9.18 crore and handed over 153 weapons. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the development as a historic moment for Chhattisgarh and the nation.
In a candid conversation with rediff.com's Indrani Roy Mitra from an undisclosed location late on Wednesday night, Kishanji talked about his party's ideology, the road of violence, problems of tribals in Lalgarh among other things.
The government informed Lok Sabha that security forces have neutralised 29 top Naxal leaders since 2019, with a significant reduction in affected districts.
The alleged encounter killing of Communist Party of India Maoist leader Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad took a new twist on Saturday after it was revealed that the other 'Maoist leader' killed in the encounter was actually a freelance journalist from Delhi. The man has been identified as Hemchandar Pandey, 32, a resident of Dewaltal village in Pithorgarh in Uttarkhand. Pandey was a freelance journalist working in Delhi.
A Bihar court on Friday acquitted 11 Nepali Maoist leaders after hearing the state government's petition for the withdrawal of criminal cases against them. Two days after the state government filed a petition in the Patna civil court for the withdrawal of cases, Additional District Judge Bashishtha Narain Singh ordered the acquittal of the Nepal Maoist leaders after holding a hearing on the petition.
Top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda has claimed responsibility for the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and four others, which lead to large scale flare-up in Orissa's Kandhamal district, according to two local television channels.
'The (Maoist) organisation is in visible decline. Their senior leaders are ageing. Forest life is unforgiving -- older leaders simply cannot cope physically.' 'Earlier, they attracted educated youth from cities. That stream has dried up. Today's recruits largely come from poor village backgrounds and lack ideological depth.'
Rubbishing Trinamool Congress's links with Maoists as alleged in West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee's letter to Home Minister P Chidambaram, Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said, "The chief minister himself is a Maoist leader."
Two senior Maoist leaders on Wednesday met Indian Ambassador Shiv Shanker Mukherjee in Kathmandu and discussed the current political situation and the peace process in Nepal.
Maoists on Saturday called for a 48-hour bandh in five states from May 18 to protest against a slew of decisions taken by the Centre, including those concerning some public sector units. The bandh call has been given in Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh."Maoists will observe a bandh on May 18 and May 19 in the five states to protest against the Centre's decision to sell ten per cent government's stake in 10 profit-making PSUs,"Maoist leader Kishenji said.
Top Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao, who was believed to have camped in Lalgarh and provided leadership to the tribal agitation in West Midnapore district, has possibly left the country for Bangladesh.
Originally hailing from Andhra Pradesh, the 67-year-old was involved in indoctrination and radicalization of youth and also responsible for numerous Maoist attacks in Chhattisgarh, resulting in the death of civilians and security personnel, they said.
Top Maoist leader Prashant Bose alias Kishan Da, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head, has been arrested in Jharkhand along with his wife Sheela Marandi, a senior police officer said on Friday.
The Maoists in Bastar went from one village to another with kits providing badly needed medical intervention. The medical help was one key reason why the tribals were attracted to the Maoists, points out M R Narayan Swamy.
A top Maoist leader, allegedly involved in the killing of five policemen and subversive activities ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, was arrested on Thursday in Latehar district of Jharkhand.
'Nepal today is far more aware, self-confident, aspirational, and assertive.' 'India's policy so far has not been geared to this shift. It is time to redraw our Nepal strategy.'
An elusive figure, Hidma is a top leader of the outlawed Naxal outfit CPI (Maoist) and has been on the radar of security agencies for many years.
Despite describing her husband Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda as her "friend, philosopher and guide", wife Subhasree Das alias Mili on Thursday denounced the act of taking a foreign national hostage and showed willingness to become a mediator.
Prajapati told a meeting in Dhulikhel near Kathmandu on Saturday that the announcement of a republic might spell an end to the existence of parallel regimes.
The Orissa high court on Wednesday granted bail to top Maoist leader Ganti Prasadam, whose release is among the conditions set by the Naxals for the safe return of abducted Malkangiri District Collector R V Krishna. The court granted him bail on a bond of Rs 20,000 with two sureties.
After arresting a top Naxal leader, investigators are on the trail of some Maoist leaders believed to be hiding in Delhi, police sources said on Tuesday.Kobad Gandhi, 63, a politburo member of the Communist Party of India - Maoist, was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi police from Bikhaji Cama Place on Sunday night, following an input received from intelligence agencies."We believe that this arrest will lead to more arrests of Naxal leaders," said a police official.
This is the third big success in the past fortnight for security forces pushing relentlessly against the Maoists with the aim of ending the menace by March 2026.
Maoist leader Samir Khalko, who was involved in the killing of a sub-inspector and bombing railway stations in Orissa, was on Tuesday gunned down by security forces during an encounter in Mundatola forest.
Eleven Naxalites, including five senior operatives with a combined bounty of Rs 68 lakh, have surrendered to police and CRPF forces in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra, marking a significant blow to Left Wing Extremism in the region.
The Supreme Court has directed the Chhattisgarh police to preserve the body of top Maoist commander Katha Ramchandra Reddy, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter. The court has instructed that the body not be buried or cremated until the high court decides on the plea alleging a fake encounter and torture.
'The nepotism, corruption, bad governance and 15 years of rampant crime that has happened across West Bengal under her rule led to her ouster.'
Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai was on Sunday elected Nepal's new prime minister defeating his Nepali Congress rival R C Poudyal, with the Terai-based Madhesi alliance extending crucial support to the former rebel leader.
Top Maoist leader Ranjan Munda, who carried out subversive activities in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa, and another squad leader were arrested by the joint forces from West Midnapore district on Friday, police said.
In a prize catch, joint forces have arrested top Maoist leader Bikram, who was wanted for a string of killings including that of a CID inspector and two political leaders, from Purulia district.
