Six Maoist rebels, including top Maoist leader Ganesh Uike, were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Odisha’s Kandhamal district. A senior officer leading anti-Naxal operations in the state said that Uike, a member of the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee and carrying a reward of Rs 1.1 crore on his head, was the head of the banned organization in Odisha.
Two Maoists from Chhattisgarh were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in the Gumma forest area under the Belghar police station on Wednesday night. He said that another exchange of fire took place in a forest under the Chakapada police station area on Thursday morning, in which four more Maoists, including Uike, were killed. He said, “Four Maoists were killed in the exchange of fire.
One of them has been identified as 69-year-old Ganesh Uike, also known by his aliases Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari, Chamaru, and Rupa. He was a resident of Pullemala village in Chandur Mandal of Nalgonda district in Telangana.” The officer said that the other three Maoists, including two women, have not yet been identified. Addressing a press conference, DGP Y B Khurania said, “Two Maoists were gunned down on Wednesday, and four more were eliminated this morning. The killing of a Central Committee member is a major success for the Odisha Police. It has broken the back of the Maoists in the state.”
He further added, “Operations are continuing at different locations along the Kandhamal-Ganjam inter-district border, and we expect more success. This is one of the biggest operations against Maoists in Odisha in recent times. We thank the security personnel involved in the operation. We are determined to fulfill Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s target of eliminating Naxalism by March 2026.”
