Crackdown Continues: High-Profile Naxalite Neutralized in Dantewada

A Naxalite with a Rs 25 lakh bounty was killed among three others in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district. The operation was part of a wider strategy against Maoists. Union Home Minister Amit Shah aims for a Naxal-free India by 2026.

A notorious Naxalite commanding a Rs 25 lakh bounty was among three insurgents neutralized in a fierce battle with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Tuesday, the police revealed.

The confrontation erupted around 8 am in the dense forests bordering Dantewada and Bijapur districts, involving personnel from the District Reserve Guard and Bastar Fighters. Acting on intelligence about Maoist presence, the forces clashed with the ultras in a potent anti-Maoist operation.

After the smoke cleared, security personnel discovered the bodies of three male Naxalites, along with an Insas rifle, a 303 rifle, explosives, and daily-use items. Among the dead was Sudhir, also known as Sudhakar or Murli, from Warangal, a key figure in the Maoists' Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee. A search operation in the area remains active, as authorities work to confirm the identities of the remaining two insurgents. The Union Home Minister emphasizes a zero-tolerance strategy, projecting a Naxal-free India by 2026.

(With inputs from agencies.)