In a significant victory for security forces, four Maoists, including senior Central Committee member Ganesh Uike carrying a bounty of ₹1.1 crore, were killed in an intense gunbattle in Odisha’s Kandhamal district on Thursday.
Ganesh Uike, aged 69, also known by aliases such as Pakka Hanumantu, Chamu, Rupa, and Rajesh Tiwari, was the in-charge of CPI(Maoist) operations in Odisha. A native of Pullemala village in Telangana’s Nalgonda district, he was one of the most wanted figures in the banned outfit’s hierarchy.
The encounter occurred during a joint operation involving Odisha Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Border Security Force (BSF). Acting on specific intelligence, forces launched a search in the forested areas of Kandhamal, leading to the exchange of fire.
Authorities recovered several weapons after the encounter, including INSAS rifles and a .303 rifle, from the site, along with the bodies of four Maoists in uniform. Two of the dead are men while the other two are women. The identities of the three other slain Maoists are yet to be fully ascertained.
Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sanjeeb Panda described the operation as a landmark success, noting it as the first neutralization of a Central Committee-rank Maoist in Odisha in recent years. “This deals a severe blow to the Maoist network in the state,” he said.
The incident follows a series of setbacks for the insurgents, including the surrender of 22 Maoists in neighbouring Malkangiri district just days earlier, and the gunning down of two Maoists on Wednesday, including an area committee member. Security forces have intensified operations amid the central government’s push to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism by March 2026.
No casualties were reported among the security personnel. Combing operations continue in the area to ensure no remaining threats.
