Two High-Profile Naxalites With ₹13 Lakh Bounty Killed in Chhattisgarh Encounter

Two senior Naxalite operatives, collectively carrying a bounty of ₹13 lakh, were neutralized in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The exchange of fire occurred on Tuesday evening in the dense forest near Kilam-Bargum villages, situated along the border of Kondagaon and Narayanpur districts. The operation was part of an ongoing anti-Naxal offensive led by a joint team of security forces, said Sundarraj P, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range.

Personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bastar Fighters—both specialized units under the state police—participated in the operation.

Following the gun battle, the bodies of two Naxalites were recovered along with an AK-47 rifle, additional firearms, and explosive materials. A thorough search operation is still underway in the area, the official added.

The deceased insurgents have been identified as Haldar, a notorious Maoist commander affiliated with the East Bastar Division, and Rame, a local area committee member. Haldar carried a reward of ₹8 lakh, while Rame had a bounty of ₹5 lakh on his head.

This latest action brings the total number of Naxalites eliminated in Chhattisgarh this year to 140, with 123 of them neutralized in the Bastar division alone—which includes Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts.