Top Maoist Leader Ganesh Uikey Killed in Major Anti-Naxal Operation in Odisha

A senior commander of the banned CPI (Maoist), carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 1.1 crore, was killed in a major anti-Naxal operation in Odisha on Thursday, officials confirmed. The encounter is being described by security agencies as a significant setback for the insurgent group’s leadership structure in the eastern region.

Ganesh Uikey, a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and its chief for Odisha, was neutralised during an exchange of fire in the Rampa forest area along the Ganjam–Kandhamal border. The joint operation was carried out by Odisha’s Special Operations Group with support from the Central Reserve Police Force and the Border Security Force.

Security forces recovered the bodies of four Maoists from the encounter site, including two women cadres. Officials said the operation was closely monitored by senior police leadership to ensure coordination and prevent collateral risks.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that a total of six Maoists had been neutralised so far in the ongoing operation in Kandhamal forests. Calling it a major breakthrough, he said the development places Odisha on the verge of becoming free from Left-wing extremism, reiterating the government’s resolve to eliminate Naxalism nationwide by March 31, 2026.

Police described Uikey, aged 69, as a battle-hardened operative who had remained active for over a decade across the Odisha–Chhattisgarh–Maharashtra corridor. He played a crucial role in armed squad operations, recruitment drives, and the movement of Maoist cadres through dense forest regions.

Known by multiple aliases — Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari, Chamru and Rupa — Uikey hailed from Pullemala village in Telangana’s Nalgonda district. Security forces said intensive combing operations are continuing in the area to ensure that no remaining insurgents are hiding in the forest zone.