Topmost Naxal leader Basavaraju among 27 killed in Chhattisgarh encounter

Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh): Topmost leader and the backbone of the Naxal movement, Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, and 26 other dreaded Maoists were killed by security forces in a fierce encounter in the dense forests of Abhujmad in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday.

Hailing the operation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was proud of the security forces for the “remarkable success”, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed it a “landmark achievement” in the battle to eliminate Naxalism.

Police said the gunfight took place in dense forests of Abhujmad on the tri-junction of Narayanpur-Bijapur-Dantewada districts.

The operation was launched two days back following intelligence inputs about the presence of Central Committee and Politburo members of the CPI (Maoists) as well as senior Maad Division cadres and PLGA (Peoples’ Liberation Guerrilla Army) members.

So far, bodies of 27 Naxalites and a large number of weapons have been recovered from the spot. A member of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), a unit of Chhattisgarh Police, was also killed in the action while some others sustained injuries, police said.

PM Modi said he was proud of the security forces who killed 27 Maoists in Chhattisgarh.

“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,” he stated on X.

The union home minister said this was for the first time in three decades of India’s battle against Naxalism that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralised by the security forces.

“A landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism. Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralised 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, the topmost leader, and the backbone of the Naxal movement,” Shah wrote on X.

Applauding the “brave security forces and agencies for this major breakthrough”, the home minister said he was glad to share that after the completion of Operation Black Forest, 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 others have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.

“The Modi government is resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026,” he said.

Basavaraju was in his early 70s, officials said.

Hailing from undivided Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju was the brain behind several major attacks on security forces in Chhattisgarh.

He was associated with the banned movement since the 1970s and elevated to the top post in CPI (Maoist) seven years ago, when Naxal activities in their stronghold Bastar region were appearing to be wearing out, officials said.

A resident of Jiyannapeta village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju holds a BTech degree from the Regional Engineering College, Warangal, and was seen as an enigmatic leader of the outlawed Naxal outfit.

Known by the aliases of Prakash, Krishna, Vijay, Umesh and Kamlu, he joined the armed movement as a ground-level organiser. He was considered to have developed expertise in imparting military training and triggering explosives and landmines.

Basavaraju’s age and looks are still a matter of speculation, with security agencies suggesting he was around 71 years of age. They have only a bundle of old photos from his youth.

Basavaraju carried a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head in Chhattisgarh. The governments of other states, including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana, have also announced rewards, an official said.

With the latest action, 200 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year. Of them, 183 were eliminated in the Bastar division, which includes districts of Bijapur, Narayanpur, Dantewada and Kondagaon.