Top Maoist Ganesh Uike, With Rs 1.1 Crore Bounty, Among 6 Killed In Odisha

In all, six Maoists were killed. Thursday's operation marks one of the most significant blows to the Maoist insurgency in recent years.

Hyderabad:

Security forces in Odisha neutralised a top Telugu Maoist commander on Thursday. Ganesh Uikey, 69, a high-ranking central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and head of its Odisha operations, was killed by teams of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Rampa forest area bordering Kandhamal and Ganjam districts.

Six Maoists, including two women cadres, were also killed in the encounter. Thursday's operation marks one of the most significant blows to the Maoist insurgency in recent years, effectively decapitating the movement's leadership in the state.

The Operation

At approximately 9 am, security forces encountered an armed Maoist squad in the Rambha forest range. The insurgents opened fire, triggering a heavy exchange of bullets. By noon, security forces recovered the bodies of six Maoists from the site, including that of Ganesh Uike.

The death of Ganesh Uike has been described as a "backbone-breaking" blow to the insurgency in the state.

These encounters come soon after the mass surrender of 22 Maoists in Malkangiri on December 23. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania have said that these successful operations put Odisha on the threshold of being "Naxal-free" aligning with the government's goal to eliminate the insurgency by March 31, 2026.

READ: Red Terror Nears Its End As Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra Maoist-Free

Security personnel recovered high-calibre weaponry from the site, including two INSAS rifles and a .303 rifle, signalling the high status of the neutralised squad. Known by various aliases, including Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari, and Rupa, Uike was a veteran insurgent originally from Nalgonda, Telangana.

Uike Carried Rs 1.1 Crore Bounty

Ganesh Uike carried a staggering bounty of Rs 1.1 crore. He was one of the few remaining members of the Maoist Central Committee, the group's apex decision-making body.

For more than 40 years, the 69-year-old played a pivotal role in the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) and was the primary link between the central leadership and local units across what has been called the Red Corridor.

He was the "brain" behind the movement's expansion in the Eastern Ghats.

Uikey was also one of the only three central committee members left (Ganesh Uikey, Odisha/Mallaraji Reddy, alias Sangram, Chhattisgarh/Analda, alias Toofan, Jharkhand). The identities of three other Maoists killed in Thursday's operation are being verified.

This operation brings the Indian government closer to its stated goal of making the country Maoist-free by March 2026.

In this year alone, the Central Committee's strength has plummeted due to successive neutralisations, including that of General Secretary Basavaraj in May and Commander Madvi Hidma in November.

"This is a historic success for our forces. The elimination of an Rs 1.1 crore bounty leader breaks the backbone of the Maoist organisational structure in the region," said a senior official monitoring the operation.

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Ganesh Uike, Maoists Killed In Odisha, CRPF