Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Dec 25— Security forces in Odisha have killed senior Maoist commander Ganesh Uike and five other insurgents in a coordinated operation in Kandhamal district, a development police described as a major blow to the CPI (Maoist) leadership in the state.
Uike, a central committee member of the banned outfit and its top leader in Odisha, carried a bounty of Rs 1.1 crore, officials said Thursday.
“While two Maoists were gunned down on Wednesday night, four others, including Ganesh Uike, were neutralised this morning,” Director General of Police YB Khurania said at a press briefing. “The killing of a central committee member is a big success for the Odisha Police.”
The encounters began Wednesday night in the Gumma forest area under Belghar police station limits, where two Maoists from Chhattisgarh were killed. Fresh gunfights erupted early Thursday in forested pockets of the Chakapad police station area, leading to the deaths of four more insurgents.
Police identified Uike as a native of Telangana’s Nalgonda district, known by several aliases. The identities of the remaining three Maoists killed Thursday, including two women, were yet to be established.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the operation had pushed Odisha closer to becoming free of Naxalism.
“With this major breakthrough, Odisha stands at the threshold of being completely free from Naxalism,” Shah said in a social media post. “We are determined to eliminate Naxalism before March 31, 2026.”
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also holds the home portfolio, praised the security forces for their coordination and resolve.
“Odisha has achieved a remarkable success in the campaign to build a Naxal-free India,” Majhi said. “Peace and progress will determine the future direction of the state.”
Khurania said the operation was launched based on intelligence inputs and involved 23 teams, including personnel from the Special Operations Group, Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force.
“Multiple gunfights were reported in different locations,” he said. “Two INSAS rifles and one .303 rifle have been recovered.”
The operation follows the surrender of 22 Maoists in neighboring Malkangiri district earlier this week. Khurania renewed an appeal to remaining rebels to lay down arms.
“Odisha’s surrender and rehabilitation policy offers the best support system in the country,” he said. “We urge them to return to the mainstream.”
