Top-Naxal-Leader-Basavaraju-Among-27-Killed-in-Chhattisgarh-EncounterTop Maoist Leader Basavaraju Killed Along With 26 Others In 50-Hour Anti-Naxal Operation In Chhattisgarh

 

In a major setback for the Maoist rebellion, security agencies have gunned down 27 Naxals, including notorious CPI (Maoist) leader Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, in a ferocious 50-hour battle in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district. 

Basavaraju, the general secretary of the illegal outfit and former chief of its Central Military Commission, was among the most wanted Naxal leaders in the country with a reward of ₹1.5 crore on his head.

 

Landmark Victory in Battle Against Naxalism

 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed the development on Wednesday, calling it a ‘landmark achievement’ in the country’s decades-long fight against Naxalism. “For the first time in three decades, a general secretary-ranked Maoist leader has been neutralized. Basavaraju was the backbone of the Maoist movement. I salute our brave security personnel,” Shah posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The fatal confrontation occurred in the Abujhmad forests, on the border of Narayanpur and Bijapur, where District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans embarked on an operation following intelligence reports on the presence of senior Maoist cadres from the Maad division.

 

Multi-District Operation Yields Results

 

DRG men of four districts, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon, were involved in the operation. Sources added that the Naxals had opened fire during the operation, and there was a long exchange, which ultimately resulted in the killing of top insurgent leaders, including Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee boss Madhu.

The operation, carried out amid harsh weather conditions with temperatures reaching 40 to 42°C, is being greeted as a grand tactical and symbolic triumph by the Chhattisgarh government. Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao praised the security forces and reaffirmed the state’s determination to wipe out Naxalism by March 2026.

 

Ripple Effect of ‘Operation Black Forest’

 

This meeting follows in the wake of ‘Operation Black Forest’, a 21-day operation conducted in April close to the Karreguttalu Hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. In the operation, 31 Maoists with a combined bounty of ₹1.72 crore were killed, 214 hideouts and bunkers were destroyed, and a huge supply of explosives and equipment was confiscated.

Taking forward this momentum, officials announced that 54 Naxals have been detained and 84 others have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra in the last few weeks. On Tuesday, 24 Maoists, including 14 worth a collective reward of ₹28.50 lakh, surrendered in Bijapur district alone.

Authorities feel Basavaraju’s killing is a turning point for the insurgency and would cause a major hit to the Maoist regrouping and leadership line in the region.