Top Maoist carrying bounty of Rs 1 crore killed in anti-insurgency operation in Odisha
PTC News Desk: Security forces in Odisha killed a senior Maoist leader on Thursday in a major counter-insurgency success. Ganesh Uikey, 69, a top CPI (Maoist) central committee member who headed the group’s Odisha operations, was eliminated in a joint operation by the BSF and CRPF in the Rampa forest area along the Kandhamal–Ganjam border.
Three other Maoists, including two women cadres, were also killed in the encounter. The operation is being seen as a major setback to the Maoist movement in the state, dealing a serious blow to its leadership.
According to officials, the encounter began around 9 am when security forces came across an armed Maoist group in the Rambha forest range. The Maoists opened fire, leading to a fierce gun battle. By noon, the bodies of four Maoists, including Uikey, were recovered.
Security forces also seized high-powered weapons from the spot, such as two INSAS rifles and a .303 rifle, indicating the senior rank of those involved. Uikey, also known by aliases such as Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari and Rupa, was originally from Nalgonda in Telangana.
He carried a bounty of Rs 1.1 crore and was among the few remaining members of the Maoist central committee. With over four decades in the movement, Uikey played a key role in the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee and acted as a crucial link between the central leadership and local units across the Red Corridor. He was also regarded as the main strategist behind the Maoists’ expansion in the Eastern Ghats.
Uikey was one of only three surviving central committee members. The identities of the other Maoists killed in the operation are still being verified.
The successful operation brings the government a step closer to its target of eliminating Maoist insurgency in the country by March 2026.
- With inputs from agencies
