Three Maoists were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on Sunday morning, officials said. With this encounter, the total number of Maoists killed this year has gone up to 252, including 223 in just the Bastar region, which comprises the districts of Kanker, Bastar, Kondagaon, Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur and Sukma. Last year, a total of 219 Maoists were killed in Chhattisgarh, including 217 in the Bastar region. Sunday’s encounter took place in a hilly area near Chindakhadak village, under the jurisdiction of Kanker police station. “Acting on information about Maoists’ movement, a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Kanker as well as Gariaband, along with Border Security Force (BSF), undertook an operation,” said Superintendent of Police for Kanker district, I Kalyan Elesela. The three killed were two men and one woman. A Self Loading Rifle (SLR), an automatic weapon, a .303 rifle, and a 12-bore gun were recovered from them. There was a combined bounty of Rs 14 lakh on them. They were identified as Sarvan Madkam, also known as Vishwanth and Budhram Punem, the coordination incharge of Sitanandi Ravas committee, carrying a bounty of Rs 8 lakh; Rajesh, also known as Rakesh Hemla, a Nagri Area Committee member and Local Organisation Squad (LOS) commander with a bounty of Rs 5 lakh; and Basanti Kunjam, also known as Hidme Piyem, who was a Protection Team member with Rs 1 lakh bounty. Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P said, “We appeal to Maoist cadres to accept the reality that Maoism is on the verge of extinction. The time has come for them to abandon violence and join the mainstream, taking advantage of the government’s rehabilitation policy. If they continue their illegal and violent activities, they will face severe consequences.” A total of 471 Maoists have been gunned down since 2024, as security forces have stepped up operations with the aim of eradicating Left Wing Extremism by the March 2026 deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Since 2024, Maoist-linked violence has killed 39 security personnel and 107 civilians.
