Chhattisgarh: Security forces recover body of one Maoist and AK-47 in Bijapur encounter

BIJAPUR, SUKMA (Chhattisgarh):  Security forces have recovered the body of a Maoist in an encounter operation in the southern region of Bijapur district this morning, officials confirmed. Along with the body of the slain Maoist, the security forces recovered an AK-47 rifle from the site.

The campaign was launched after reports of armed Maoists’ presence in the region, and a search operation was initiated by joint teams. Intermittent firing between security forces and Maoists has been ongoing since 7.30 am.

Meanwhile, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Thursday demolished a memorial of Ravula Srinivas alias Ramanna, who was a central committee member of the Maoists, in Gogunda village of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district.
This comes after the CRPF established a forward operating base in Gogunda on November 20, 2025, ending the long terror reign of Naxals in the region.

Assistant Commandant of 74th Battalion Videkho Kiye said, “This area in Gogunda had been under naxal control for a long time and was a cutoff area for the security forces… But the 74th Battalion established a forward operating base on November 20th, 2025. Today, the monument of a Maoist CC member, Ramanna, was demolished by the Battalion in a joint operation… This will pave the way for a brighter future for the upcoming generation”.

Ramanna was a top Maoist leader who died of cardiac arrest in 2019. He was the mastermind behind the Naxals’ most deadly attack on security personnel in Chhattisgarh, which took place in 2010, where 76 CRPF Jawans lost their lives. He also planned the Jhiramghati attack in which 28 people, including top state Congress leaders, were killed in 2013.

#WATCH | Sukma, Chhattisgarh | Assistant Commandant of 74th Battalion Videkho Kiye says, “This area in Gogunda had been under naxal control for a long time and was a cutoff area for the security forces… But the 74th Battalion has established a forward operating base on November… pic.twitter.com/Ge7tZvniW1

— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2026

Videkho Kiye also emphasised the joint efforts of the government and security forces to rehabilitate and provide better facilities to people who lived long under the Maoists’ control. “Now efforts are being made for facilitating supply of electricity and water. School building and helipad are also almost ready”, he said.

Earlier last month, security forces in Chhattisgarh recovered the bodies of two Maoist cadres along with automatic weapons from the encounter site in the northwestern region of the state from Bijapur, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Bijapur Superintendent of Police (SP) Jitendra Yadav said that a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG), CoBRA and the Special Task Force (STF) carried out a search operation in the northwestern region after receiving intelligence inputs regarding the presence of the Maoist National Park Area Committee’s Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) Dilip Bedja and other armed Maoists in forest and hilly areas.

Earlier, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said that the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) perpetrated violence has come down by 88 per cent from 2010, with deaths of civilians and security forces reduced by 90 per cent.

Replying to an unstarred question from BJP MP Roopkumari Choudhary, Nityanand Rai said 100 deaths of civilians and security forces were reported in 2025 as compared to 1005 in the year 2010. He also updated that security forces neutralised 364 Naxals, arrested 1022 and facilitated 2337 surrenders in 2025.

“The LWE perpetrated violence incidents have come down from a high of 1936 in the year 2010 by 88% to 234 in 2025. Resultant deaths of Civilians & Security Forces have also come down from a high of 1005 in 2010 by 90% to 100 in the year 2025. In 2025, security forces have neutralised 364 Naxals, arrested 1022 and facilitated 2337 surrenders,” Union MoS Nityanand Rai said.

He further replied that only eight districts remain affected by Left Wing Extremism, out of which six are from Chhattisgarh. “Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts are 8, including 6 districts in Chhattisgarh, 1 district in Jharkhand and 1 district in Odisha,” Nityanand Rai said. This aligns with the government’s aim to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism by March 31, 2026. (ANI)