The forces’ supplies ran low and they were hungry and thirsty, but they didn’t let that affect their morale and went on to kill 16 Maoists, including a senior leader carrying a Rs 1-crore bounty, in Kulhadighat in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district earlier this week.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Thursday, Raipur Inspector General of Police Amresh Mishra shared details of the encounter, revealing that the Maoists used drones to keep an eye on the security forces. He said some of the Maoists killed carried a combined bounty of Rs 5 crore and that the extremists likely lost more men, but may have carried away the bodies. 

Inputs, Operation

On Sunday evening, intelligence inputs revealed that a large group of senior Maoist cadres was assembling in the hills of Kulhadighat. The group, reportedly comprising 25-30 prominent Maoist leaders from Odisha and Chhattisgarh cadres, had convened to discuss fund collection, panchayat elections and establishing a safe corridor from Bastar.

The operation was carried out in three phases: planning, tactical strategy, and monitoring. The security forces, equipped with precise intelligence, embarked on what they had thought would be an operation lasting a day and a half, which eventually stretched on for three days – until Wednesday.

Combined teams of E-30 soldiers (Gariaband district), COBRA 207 and CRPF’s 65 and 211 battalions, along with Odisha’s Special Operations Group (SOG), coordinated the tactical strike.

Challenging Terrain 

The operation unfolded in the rugged hills of Kulhadighat, with heavy firing exchanged between the security forces and the Maoists. Despite limited rations and gruelling conditions, the security personnel demonstrated unwavering resolve and high morale.

Inspector General Mishra said, “The security forces had initially set out for a one-and-a-half to two-day operation, but they ended up fighting the Naxalites for three days, while remaining hungry and thirsty.”

The Maoists he said, had also deployed two drones for surveillance, but the forces outmaneuvered them using local drones for intelligence and monitoring. The extremists were surrounded in a triangle-shaped ambush, with Odisha’s Special Operations Group blocking escape routes to the state, and forces in Chhattisgarh covering the remaining exits. 

Top Leaders Neutralised

Among the 16 Naxals killed, 11 bodies have been identified and the biggest name of them all was Jayaram Reddy aka Chalapati, a Central Committee Member, who was a a key Maoist strategist and had been active since 1991. He was responsible for numerous attacks, including the killing of an MLA in Andhra Pradesh, and played a central role in fund collection and urban Maoist propaganda. The government had announced a Rs 1 crore reward for information leading to his arrest.  

Some of the others are Jayaram alias Guddu, a mobilisation expert with a notorious record of organising Maoist operations and Satyam Gawade, a top commander in Kanker, responsible for coordinating major operations over several years.

“These leaders collectively carried a bounty exceeding Rs 5 crore,” Mr Mishra said.

The officer emphasised that the elimination of these top leaders marks a turning point in the fight against Maoism.

 “The killing of Chalapati, Guddu, and Gawade will cripple their network and strategies. We are on track to eradicate Maoism by March 2026, paving the way for a brighter future for Bastar,” he said.

Strategic Significance 

Kulhadighat, a tribal-dominated region spread across 75 km, comprises seven villages surrounded by forests and hills. The area remains a no-network zone, with a population of about 1,500. Four of the villages are situated on hilltops, making accessibility a challenge.

For decades, this region served as a strategic hub for Naxal leaders overseeing operations across Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The rugged terrain and dense vegetation provided a natural shield, turning Kulhadighat into a safe haven for Chalapati and other top cadre leaders.

The villagers in hilltop settlements lead secluded lives, descending only once a week to collect essentials such as rations and water. Supplies are transported back using horses and mules. This exacerbates the challenge of monitoring the area.

New Delhi:

Jayaram Reddy, a senior Maoist leader also known as Chalapati, escaped security forces for decades until a selfie with his wife, Aruna alias Chaitanya Venkat Ravi, cost him his life. He was among 20 Maoists killed in a joint operation by central and state police forces along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border this week.

Chalapati carried a reward of Rs 1 crore and was the mastermind of the February 2008 attack in Odisha’s Nayagarh district, in which 13 security personnel lost their lives.

He ensured the Maoists could successfully escape from Nayagarh after robbing the police armoury, a senior officer involved in anti-Maoist operations told the news agency PTI on Wednesday.

He also ensured that police reinforcements could not enter Nayagarh when the attack on the armoury was underway and the Maoists had blocked all roads leading to the town with massive tree trunks, the officer said.

He stayed incognito for years but a selfie with his wife Aruna, a ‘deputy commander’ of the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), helped security forces identify him. The picture was found in an abandoned smartphone that was recovered in May 2016 following an encounter between Maoists and security forces in Andhra Pradesh.

A bounty of Rs 1 crore was then announced on his head, forcing him to travel with a security detail comprising 8-10 personal guards.

ALSO READ | At Least 2 Maoists Killed Every Day In First 3 Weeks Of 2025: Centre

A resident of Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor — where Maoist activities have ended now — Chalapati was a senior member of the central committee of the Maoists, which is the highest decision-making body within the group.

He was mainly active in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar but relocated his base a few months ago due to the increasing frequency of encounters in the area. He shifted near the Odisha border, seeking a safer operational zone.

He was considered an expert in military tactics and guerrilla warfare, officials said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has vowed to eradicate Maoists by March 2026, called the encounter “another mighty blow to Naxalism”.

“Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SoG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border,” he posted on X.

“With our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today,” Mr Shah said.

At least 40 Maoists have so far been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh this year.

(With agency inputs)

Bhopal:

Jayaram Reddy was known by several aliases – Ramachandra Reddy, Apparao, and Ramu. But the most prominent was Chalapati. A senior leader in the Maoist ranks, Chalapati was gunned down during an encounter along with 19 other associates in a Chhattisgarh forest last night, marking one of the most successful campaigns by security forces to cleanse the region of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).

Who was Jayaram Reddy

Chalapati, about 60 years old, was from Madanapalle in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, and had studied till Class 10. Despite his modest educational background, he had risen to prominence in the Maoist ranks, becoming a cadre of the Central Committee Member (CCM), a top decision-making body within the organisation.

Such a key position, which made him privy to sensitive operations of the banned outfit, drew a bounty of Rs 1 crore. The value of the bounty also suggests how important a target he was for the security forces.

Read: Maoist With 1 Crore Bounty Among 20 Killed, Amit Shah Says “Major Success”

Chalapati was familiar with the dense and impenetrable forests of Bastar. His security detail comprising 8-10 personal guards bears a testament to his importance within the Maoist network.

Armed with advanced weaponry like AK-47s and SLR rifles, Chalapati was a frontline leader who played a crucial role in making strategies and leading operations.

His tactical expertise, leadership skills, and ability to mobilise resources in challenging terrains earned him notoriety as one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in the region.

Chalapati relocated his base a few months ago in view of increasing encounters in Abujhmad, to the Gariaband-Odisha border, which was deemed a safer operational zone.

The Encounter

Chalapati and his associates – who are yet to be identified – were killed during an exchange of fire with a joint team comprising the District Reserve Guard, Central Reserve Police Force, CoBRA commandoes from Chhattisgarh, and the Special Operation Group from Odisha.

The security forces launched the operation based on intelligence inputs that some Maoists were holed up in the Kularighat reserve forest of Chhattisgarh, about 5 km from the Odisha border.

Guns including a self-loading rifle, ammunition, and bombs were found at the encounter site.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had spelled the endgame for Maoists in the country, called it a “major success”.

“Another mighty blow to Naxalism. Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat…With our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today,” he said in an online post.

The government has been trying to make the Maoists shun violence and get back to the mainstream. At least 800 Maoists were arrested last year while another 802 extremists laid down their arms.

The security forces had killed 219 Maoists last year. Of them, 217 were from the Bastar region, comprising Bastar, Dantewada, Kanker, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, and Sukma districts.

New Delhi:

A Maoist carrying a Rs 1 crore bounty was among 14 killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district last night with Union Home Minister Amit Shah calling the operation a “major success”.

Jayaram Reddy, a senior Maoist leader also known as Chalapati, was killed in the exchange of fire that took place in a forest along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border.

A joint team of security personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), CoBRA from Chhattisgarh and Special Operation Group (SOG) from Odisha were involved in the operation.

The operation was launched based on intelligence about the presence of Maoists in the Kularighat reserve forest of Chhattisgarh, just five kilometres from the border of Odisha’s Nuapada district.

A large cache of firearms, ammunition and IEDs, including a self-loading rifle, were recovered from the encounter site, an official said. A massive search operation is underway in the area.

Amit Shah On Maoist Encounter

Amit Shah, who has vowed to eradicate Maoists by March 2026, called the encounter “another mighty blow to Naxalism”.

“Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SoG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border,” he posted on X.

Another mighty blow to Naxalism. Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SoG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. With our resolve for a Naxal-free…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 21, 2025

“With our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today,” Mr Shah added.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also praised the security forces and said that under the double-engine government (the BJP government at the Centre and the state), Chhattisgarh will get rid of the Maoists by March 2026.

The security forces have been “continuously achieving success” and “moving rapidly” towards fulfilling the target, he said.

“This success of the soldiers is commendable. I salute their bravery,” Mr Sai posted on X.

About 40 Maoists have so far been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh this year.

Chalapati: The Senior Maoist Killed In Encounter

Chalapati, who was a resident of Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor, was a senior member of the central committee of the Maoists, which is the highest decision-making body within the group. He was known for his activities in the dense forests of Abujhmad in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar.

Aged around 60, he relocated his base a few months ago due to the increasing frequency of encounters in the Abujhmad area and shifted near the Odisha border, seeking a safer operational zone, sources said.

Chalapati played a key role in strategizing and leading operations for the Maoists.

His security detail consisted of 8 to 10 personal guards.

Chalapati, who carried a reward of Rs 1 crore for information leading to his capture, was considered a high-value target by security forces.

Over 200 Maoists Killed In 2024

More than 200 Maoists were killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh in 2024. Among 219 Maoists killed last year, 217 were from the Bastar region, which comprises Bastar, Dantewada, Kanker, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon and Sukma districts.

Over 800 Maoists were also arrested, while about 802 laid down their arms.

About 18 security personnel lost their lives in the fight against Maoists in 2024, while the number of civilians killed in Maoist violence stood at 65.