Six Naxalites, including senior Maoist leader Ganesh Uike, were killed during a security forces operation in Odisha’s Kandhmal district on Thursday, dealing a major setback to the banned CPI (Maoist) network in the state, PTI reported.
Confirming the development, Union Home Ministry said the encounter marked a decisive step in the government’s push to eliminate Left-wing extremism.
In a post on X, the centralministry described the operation as a “significant milestone towards Naxal-free Bharat.”
“In a major operation in Kandhmal, Odisha, 6 Naxalites, including Central Committee Member Ganesh Uike, have been neutralised so far. With this major breakthrough, Odisha stands at the threshold of becoming completely free from Naxalism. We are resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026,” HMO said.
According to a senior police officer overseeing anti-Naxal operations in Odisha, Uike was the state chief of the CPI (Maoist) and carried a reward of Rs 1.1 crore. The encounter took place in forested terrain under the jurisdiction of Chakapad police station in Kandhmal.
The officer said Uike, 69, operated under several aliases–Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari, Chamru and Rupa–and hailed from Pullemala village in Chendur mandal of Telangana’s Nalgonda district.
The identities of the remaining five Naxalites killed in the operation, including two women, were yet to be confirmed, PTI reported.