At least 27 Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, the topmost leader of the CPI (Maoist), were neutralized on Wednesday in a massive counterinsurgency operation deep within the dense forests of Abujhmad, Chhattisgarh.

A jawan of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was martyred while valiantly confronting Maoist fire, and several other personnel sustained injuries.

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All injured personnel have been evacuated and are reported to be out of danger, officials confirmed.

The operation, led by the DRG, is still ongoing and is being hailed as one of the most significant offensives against Maoist insurgents in decades. Sources suggest the death toll may rise as search operations conclude and security forces return from across the forested tri-junction of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada districts.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a strong statement, said: “Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralized 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, the General Secretary of CPI (Maoist), topmost leader and the backbone of the Maoist movement. This is the first time in three decades of Bharat’s battle against Maoism that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralized by our forces. I applaud our brave security forces and agencies for this major breakthrough.”

Shah further noted that under Operation Black Forest, 54 Maoists have been arrested and 84 have surrendered across Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. He reaffirmed the Modi government’s commitment to eliminating Maoism by March 31, 2026.

The coordinated strike was carried out by DRG personnel from Narayanpur, Bijapur, Dantewada, and Kondagaon districts, based on specific intelligence about the presence of top Maoist commanders in the Maad region. The forested tri-junction of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada, long regarded as a Maoist bastion, was cordoned off, and the DRG intercepted the insurgents, leading to a prolonged and intense gunfight.

Police officials confirmed that Basavaraju, the General Secretary of CPI (Maoist) and the most wanted Maoist leader in India with a bounty of ₹1.5 crore, was killed during the encounter. His death is considered a historic breakthrough in India’s decades-long fight against Maoist violence.

Born in 1955 in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, Basavaraju earned an engineering degree from the Regional Engineering College in Warangal (now NIT Warangal). As a student, he was associated with the Radical Students Union and was known for his interest in kabaddi and leftist ideology. After a brief arrest in 1980, he went underground and received military training from ex-LTTE cadres in the forests of Bastar in 1987.

Following the 2004 merger of the People’s War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI), he rose to lead the Central Military Commission and, in 2018, became General Secretary of CPI (Maoist), succeeding Ganapathi. He was the chief strategist behind several of the most brutal Maoist attacks in India, including the 2010 Dantewada ambush that killed 76 CRPF jawans, the 2013 Jiram Ghati attack that killed senior Congress leaders, the 2018 assassination of TDP MLA Kidari Sarveshwar Rao in Araku, and the 2019 IED attack in Gadchiroli that claimed 15 police lives. Basavaraju was on the NIA’s most-wanted list for over two decades.

A senior police officer monitoring the operation told The Statesman that the gunbattle began at daybreak and continues in phases, with multiple senior Maoist cadres believed to be trapped. “Reinforcements have been deployed, and forces are combing the terrain cautiously to recover arms and confirm identities of the deceased,” the officer said. One DRG jawan was martyred and another injured in the exchange.

The terrain of Abujhmad, often described in Maoist propaganda as a ‘liberated zone’, has long posed formidable challenges due to its remoteness and hostility. However, recent months have seen increased penetration by DRG units, aided by drone surveillance and improved intelligence networks.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated the DRG on the historic success. “Despite difficult geographical conditions and many challenges, this decisive campaign is being carried forward with full commitment and determination. The death of Basavaraju is a trumpet of victory against Maoist insurgency,” he posted on X. He also expressed condolences for the martyred jawan and instructed officials to ensure swift medical treatment for the injured.

Security experts believe that the elimination of Basavaraju will deliver a severe blow to the Maoist command structure in India’s Red Corridor and may accelerate the collapse of armed insurgency in several strongholds. The operation is expected to demoralize cadres and open the door for further surrenders, development initiatives, and greater peace in the conflict affected tribal regions.