14 Maoists killed in encounter at Odisha-Chhattisgarh border

Police operation kills at least 14 Maoists in Chhattisgarh-Odisha border, recovering arms and ammunition, with potential for more casualties.

At least fourteen Maoists have been killedalong the Chhattisgarh-Odisha borderin an anti-Maoist operation conducted in Gariaband district, the police said on Tuesday (January 21, 2025). The police had on Monday (January 20, 2025) said the number of fatalities in the operation was two but updated the figures based on the bodies recovered after the operation. 

Those killed include Jayaram alias Chalpati,  a senior member of the central committee, the highest decision making body of the Maoists, with a reward of one crore, Gariaband Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha told The Hindu.

A large cache of arms and ammunition has also been recovered, he said, adding that there could be a possibility of more Naxals being killed. 

The operation was carried out in the area of Mainpur police station by a team comprising personnel from District Reserve Guard (DRG), CRPF and CoBRA (The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, an elite unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of India. C an elite unit of the CRPF) from Chhattisgarh  while a Special Operation Group (SOG) from Odisha was also involved in it, the officer added. A personnel from CRPF CoBRA had sustained superficial injuries but is said to be out of danger. 

With this at least 40 Maoists have been killed by the forces since January 1, 2025. In terms of the number of bodies recovered, the Gariaband encounter is the biggest thus far in this year. In another encounter in Bijapur on January 16, 12 Maoists were killed. Later, however, the police added that the Maoists themselves had issued a press release saying 18 Maoists had been killed in the said encounter. 

The anti-Maoists operations which have intensified in Chhattisgarh since late 2023 saw 219 Maoists getting killed in 2024. While the operations were concentrated in Bastar, the hotbed of Left-wing extremism in the State and the country, in the past fortnight there have been two operations in Gariaband. Mr. Rakhecha said that the district is considered a hideout for the Maoists as they have remained dormant but safe here. He said that the estimated number of Maoists in the district is 60.