n a fierce encounter between security forces and Maoist insurgents in the dense forests of Abhujmad on the tri-junction of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada districts, at least 27 Naxalites were killed, including the top leader Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju.
Basavaraju, who was around 71 years old according to security agencies, was the general secretary of the CPI (Maoist) and considered the backbone of the Naxal movement. A reward of Rs 1 crore was announced on his head by the Chhattisgarh government, with other states including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana also offering rewards.
The operation, launched following intelligence reports on the presence of senior Maoist leaders, recovered 27 bodies and numerous weapons from the site. One member of the District Reserve Guard was killed, and several others injured during the clash.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the security forces, tweeting, “Proud of our forces for this remarkable success. Our Government is committed to eliminating the menace of Maoism and ensuring a life of peace and progress for our people.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the operation as a historic milestone, saying this was the first time in over three decades that a Maoist general secretary had been neutralised. He confirmed that after Operation Black Forest, 54 Maoists have been arrested and 84 surrendered across Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Shah reiterated the government’s resolve to eliminate Naxalism by March 31, 2026.
So far in 2024, 200 Maoists have been killed in encounters in Chhattisgarh, with 183 in the Bastar division alone.
Basavaraju had been leading the party since Ganapathi resigned in 2018. He was involved in several major attacks, including the 2003 Alipiri bomb blast in Tirupati, which targeted then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and the 2010 Dantewada ambush that killed 76 CRPF personnel.
Originally from Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju was a trained guerrilla warfare expert and a founding member of the banned People’s War Group that later merged into the CPI (Maoist).
