Two senior Maoist leaders involved in 2009 Rajnandgaon attack killed in Chhattisgarh encounter

The encounter occurred during a joint operation undertaken by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). According to the police, the two Maoist leaders were allegedly involved in the attack that killed 30 security personnel — including Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar Choubey — in 2009.

So far, no weapons have been recovered from the deceased, one police official said.

“The encounter spot is surrounded by a few hills. The forces had surrounded the Maoists and the encounter broke out in the evening and intermittent firing went on for an hour. While some Maoists got away the forces have neutralised two senior cadres,” Superintendent of Police YP Singh, adding that search operations are ongoing to find out if more Maoists were killed.

The encounter comes at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s March 2026 to eradicate Left Wing Extremism in the country looms. Nearly 230 Maoists have been killed in various encounters this year in Chhattisgarh — including 208 in Bastar region.