Kandhamal: Top Maoist leader Ganesh Uike, carrying a bounty of ₹1.1 crore, was killed in an encounter with security forces during an anti-Naxal operation in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday.
Uike, a Central Committee member of CPI (Maoist), headed the outfit’s operations in Odisha and was among the most wanted Maoist leaders in the state. The operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs.
In a post on X, Shah said six Maoists, including Uike, were neutralised in the operation, calling it a “significant milestone” towards making Odisha free of Naxalism.
He reiterated the government’s goal of eliminating Naxalism nationwide by March 31, 2026.
Separately, police said three Maoists, including a woman cadre, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in the Gumma forest area under Belghar police station limits on Wednesday night, PTI reported.
Two of those killed were identified as Bari alias Rakesh, an area committee member, and Amrit, a dalam member, both from Chhattisgarh and carrying a combined bounty of ₹23.65 lakh. The body of another woman Maoist was recovered during a search operation on Thursday morning.
Police said the encounter occurred when a Special Operations Group team launched a combing operation following a tip-off about Maoist movement. In the larger operation, 23 teams from the SOG, CRPF and BSF were deployed across forested areas of Kandhamal and parts of neighbouring Ganjam district.
Security forces later recovered the bodies of four Maoists—two men and two women—along with arms including INSAS rifles, a .303 rifle, a revolver and communication equipment. No injuries were reported among security personnel. Combing operations continue in the region.
The encounter came days after 22 Maoists surrendered before the Odisha Director General of Police in neighbouring Malkangiri district.
