Top Maoist leader Ganesh Uike, who had a reward of 1.1 crore on his head, was one out of six red rebels who were left dead as a result of clashes with security forces in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, police confirmed on Thursday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has called this a “major breakthrough,” and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has called it a “remarkable success” to achieve a Naxal-free India.
CPI(Maoist) central committee member Uike is the head of the banned organization in Odisha, said Sanjeeb Panda, an ADG rank police officer responsible for anti-Naxal operations in the state.
Two Maoists have been killed in an exchange of fire with the forces in the Gumma forest in the Belghar police station area last night. New battles have also erupted in a forest in the Chakapad police station area this morning, in which four other Maoists have been killed, including Uike, Kerketta said.
“Four Maoists were killed in the gun battle. One of them has been identified as 69-year-old Ganesh Uike, alias Pakka Hanumantu, alias Rajesh Tiwari, alias Chamru, alias Rupa. He was from Pullemala of Chendur mandal in Telangana’s Nalgonda district,” Panda said.
The identity of the other three Naxals, including two women, could not be confirmed, said the officer.
Talking to X, Shah said: “In a big operation in Kandhamal in Odisha, 6 Naxalites, including CC member Ganesh Uike, have been successfully neutralised so far. With this big achievement, Odisha is at the doorstep of becoming totally Naxal-free. We are determined to make Naxalism extinct before 31st March 2026.”
Majhi, who is also the home minister of the state, lauded the police personnel for their ‘inovala dahi bhaw’, or indomitable courage, ‘karyabhaava bowlasaan’, or
“Today, Odisha has registered a historic success in the campaign to make Naxal-free India. In the ongoing combined operation in the Kandhamal district, 6 Naxalites, including Ganesh Uike, a central committee member of Naxals, have been eliminated,” Major Majhi stated in his social media update.
This major breakthrough means that Odisha is on the verge of being totally rid of the problem of Naxalites, he added.
“We are determined to totally eliminate Naxalism. The development of the state and the security of the people are our top-most priorities. Peace and progress will decide the future of Odisha,” the Chief Minister said.
Speaking at apress conference, DGP YB Khurania said:
“Two Maoists were gunned down on Wednesday while four others, including Ganesh Uike, were eliminated today. The elimination of a central committee member is a major triumph for the Odisha police department. Odisha police have shattered the backbone of the Maoists.”
The DGP said there are also operations at different points along the Kandhamal-Ganjam border.
“Still, we hope to achieve greater success. This operation is one of the largest ones conducted against Maoists in Odisha in recent times. We thank the security forces involved in this operation. Now, we are committed to achieving the target set by the Union Home Minister to eradicate Naxalism by March 2026,” he said.
Replying to a question, the DGP stated that there is no report of any casualty on the police side till now.
“It is for the first time in recent times that a Maoist commander of central committee member rank is gunned down by the security forces in Odisha,” he said.
The DGP said that as per intelligence inputs, a joint operation by 23 teams consisting of 20 teams of the Special Operations Group of the Odisha Police, two teams from the CRPF, and one from the BSF was conducted in the Chakapad police station area in Kandhamal district and the adjacent Rambha forest range in Ganjam district yesterday morning.
“There have been reports of gun battles between security forces and Maoists. Later, four bodies of Maoists — two men and women each — have been recovered. Additionally, two INSAS rifles and a .303 rifle have been seized,” he said.
The Naxals slain on Wednesday night included CPI(Maoist)’s area committee member Bari alias Rakesh and dalam member Amrit from Chhattisgarh, a senior police officer said—both of whom have a combined prize of Rs 23.65 lakh on their heads. The gun battles took place after 22 Maoists had surrendered in front of Khurania in the neighbouring district of Malkangiri on Tuesday. The DGP on Thursday once more made an appeal to Maoists to come back to mainstream politics. “The Odisha government’s policy for Maoist rehabilitation/surrender is the best in the country in which Maoists enjoy numerous benefits such as cash assistance, as well as skill training in addition to houses, ration cards, as well as cash assistance for doing business activities,” he stated.
