Police Identify Two Maoists Killed in Bijapur Encounter, Each Had RS 5 Lakh Bounty

In a major success for security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, two high-value Maoist cadres carrying a combined reward of Rs ten lakh were killed in an encounter in the Indravati River area of Bijapur district on Thursday.

Preliminary identification confirmed them as Hichami Madda and Manki Podium, both Area Committee Members of the Bhairamgarh unit, each with an announced reward of Rs five lakh.

Their elimination marks a significant disruption to the local Maoist leadership structure in this sensitive zone along the Indravati River.

From the site, forces seized one SLR rifle with three magazines and 55 rounds, one INSAS rifle with three magazines and 19 rounds, one 12-bore gun with two shells, two hand grenades, two indigenous hand grenades, detonators, scanner batteries, mechanisms, medicines, pouches, and various other Naxalite materials.

The recovered arsenal underscores the group's continued reliance on a mix of looted service rifles, country-made weapons, and improvised explosives for operations in the area.

Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said that forces entered the area after receiving precise intelligence about the presence of armed members of the Bhairamgarh Area Committee in the Jagur-Dodum region under the Jangal police station jurisdiction.

A District Reserve Guard (DRG) team initiated a search operation on the evening of February 25, he said. The operation intensified early the next morning, leading to continuous exchanges of fire starting around 6 a.m.

Security personnel from the DRG, Bastar Fighters, STF, CoBRA, and CRPF engaged the Maoists in the difficult riverine and forested terrain.

After the firing ceased, search teams recovered the bodies of two uniformed Maoist cadres at the encounter site.

Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattalingam, said this is a broader message to the remaining Maoist cadres. He pointed to the growing number of former insurgents, including Barse Deva, Rupesh, Ranita, Rajman, Raju Salam, Devji, Sangram, Bhupati, and Venkatesh, who have already abandoned violence and returned to mainstream life. He urged other active members to follow suit, stressing that there is no future in armed struggle.