A major encounter was carried out in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district last night, and Union Minister Amit Shah called it a major success. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has lauded the efforts of the security forces following a successful anti-Maoist operation in the Gariaband district. The operation was conducted on Tuesday and it resulted in the elimination of 14 Maoists including a high-ranking leader. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), CM Sai expressed his gratitude, stating, “I salute the jawans for their success.” He also reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to eradicate the Maoist activities by March 2026 calling it a priority under the “double engine government.”

Details of the Operation:

The joint operation was carried out by the Chhattisgarh Police, Odisha Police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Kulhadighat area of Gariaband district, near the Odisha border. Among those killed was Jayaram alias Chalapathi, a Central Committee member of the Maoist organization, who had a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head. Chalapathi aged 60 years was a resident of Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh and a senior member in the central committee of Maoists. A few months ago he relocated to the Odisha border seeking a safe place. Another prominent leader, Telangana State Committee cadre Damodar (Damodar alias Chokka Rao) was also killed on January 18th in a Maoist encounter.

Reports indicate that the total number of Maoist casualties has risen to 20, including several other senior leaders of the banned outfit. CM Sai highlighted that the security forces are making significant progress in their mission to eliminate Left Wing Extremism (LWE) from the state. He credited the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their unwavering support in this fight.