Maoist Carrying ₹5 Lakh Reward Killed in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada

In a recent combing operation in the forested hills of Dantewada district , security forces gunned down a Maoist carrying a reward of ₹5 lakh after a brief exchange of fire with armed cadres, police said on Thursday.

According to Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai , the encounter took place on Wednesday night under the Geedam police station limits when a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bastar Fighters launched an anti-Naxal operation based on intelligence inputs.

Police had received information that Maoists had concealed weapons and other logistical material in the forested hill region between Gumalnar, Girsapara and Nelgoda villages in the Geedam area bordering Bijapur district . Acting on the tip-off, the security personnel began a search and cordon operation in the area.

During the operation, around 8–10 armed Maoists belonging to the Bhairamgarh Area Committee opened indiscriminate fire using automatic weapons, triggering an exchange of fire with the security forces. Taking advantage of the dense forests, rugged terrain and darkness, most of the insurgents managed to escape from the spot.

During a subsequent search of the encounter site, the body of one Maoist was recovered. He was later identified as Rajesh Punem , a resident of Burji village under Gangaloor police station limits in Bijapur district. Police said Punem carried a bounty of ₹5 lakh announced by the state government.

Security forces also recovered a cache of weapons and equipment from the site, including a self-loading rifle (SLR), an INSAS rifle, a pistol with magazine, a walkie-talkie set, several magazines and live cartridges.

Officials said search operations are continuing in the surrounding forest areas to trace the Maoists who fled during the gunfight.

With this latest action, at least 26 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year. The Bastar region , comprising seven districts including Dantewada, has long been considered the core area of Maoist activity linked to the Communist Party of India (Maoist) .

The Union government has set a target to eliminate Left‑Wing Extremism from the country by March 31 this year, with security operations intensified across affected districts.