#JustIn: Three Senior Maoist Leaders Killed in Major Encounter in Sukma Forest Hills

Security forces neutralized three CPI (Maoist) cadres, including two women leaders, in a prolonged and intense firefight deep within the Tumalpad forested hills of Sukma district on Sunday morning. The operation was initiated by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) after receiving actionable intelligence about a Maoist squad’s movement in the remote area, located roughly 500 km south of Raipur. The encounter began at dawn and continued intermittently for several hours, with security personnel navigating treacherous terrain and dense undergrowth to close in on the insurgents.

The deceased rebels have been identified as Madvi Deva, a prominent Jan-militia commander and member of the Konta Area Committee; Podium Gangi, serving as the CNM Commander for the same committee; and Sodi Gangi, an active member of the Kistaram Area Committee. Each carried a government bounty of Rs 5 lakh on their heads due to their involvement in multiple attacks and recruitment drives. Sukma SP Kiran Chavan confirmed that the bodies were recovered along with a .303 rifle, Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL) launchers, other firearms, ammunition, and Maoist literature from the encounter site.

Bastar Range IGP Sundarraj Pattilingam issued a strong appeal to surviving Maoist cadres, urging them to surrender and embrace the state’s rehabilitation policy instead of pursuing a “violent and obsolete ideology.” He described the insurgency as a “hollow shell,” increasingly abandoned by its own members, and reiterated the unwavering commitment of Bastar police to systematically dismantle the remaining CPI (Maoist) infrastructure across the region.

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This year, a total of 233 Maoists—including high-ranking Central Committee members, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) leaders, and frontline Peoples' Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) fighters—have been killed in operations across the Bastar Range. The sustained campaign reflects a strategic shift toward intelligence-driven strikes and area domination, significantly weakening the Maoists’ operational capacity in their traditional strongholds.

Sukma continues to be one of the seven most Maoist-affected districts in the Bastar zone and is widely regarded as the epicenter of left-wing extremism in south Chhattisgarh. The latest encounter highlights the growing effectiveness of coordinated security operations in reclaiming forested interiors and disrupting insurgent networks, delivering a major setback to the dwindling rebel movement.

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