31 Maoists gunned down in Bijapur; 2 security men killed too say Chhattisgarh police

Senior Correspondent

NewsBits.in

RAIPUR: As many as 31 suspected Maoists were killed in a fierce gun battle with joint security forced on February 9 in the forests of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, police officials have said.

Two security personnel were also killed and others injured in the major anti-naxal operation of the Chhattisgarh police. They included In the Maoist encounter, Head Constable Naresh Dhruv of DRG Bijapur and STF constable Basit Raote.

Two soldiers injured in the incident were airlifted by the Indian Air Force. The condition of the injured soldiers is out of danger and they are undergoing better treatment in Raipur, cops said.

A large cache of arms and ammunition including guns and explosives were seized from the encounter site within Indravati National Park. The encounter took place in the Annpur-Tekameta forest area under ​​Thana Farsegarh of Bijapur.

Evidence such as blood and drag marks were found on the site to indicate that more Maoists might have been killed or severely injured, Bastar inspector general (IG) of police Sundarraj P said.

A total of 81 suspected Maoists have been killed in different encounters within first two months of the 2025, the police officials claimed.

The security forces including Bijapur district reserve guards (DRG) and special task force (STF) initiated the operations on the information of presence of dread Maoists including divisional committee member of Communist Party of India (Maoists) Hunga Karma, special zonal committee member Bandi Prakash, Bhaskar, Buchanna of Madded/National Park Area Committee, People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) Platoon No. 11 Commander Mangu Hemla and area committee members Subhash Oyam, Sannu, Krishna, and Ajit.

Among the alleged insurgents killed – five were identified including Hunga Karma, Mangu Hemla, Subhash Oyam, National Park Area Committee member Sannu, Gangalur Area Committee member and Ramesh, National Park Area party member.

Director General of Police Chhattisgarh Arun Dev Gautam, Additional Director General of Police Vivekanand, Inspector General of Police Bastar Range Sundarraj P., Inspector General CRPF Rakesh Agarwal, former minister Mahesh Gagda, MLA Bijapur Vikram Mandavi, Collector Bijapur Sambit Mishra, Deputy Inspector General of Police Dantewada Range Kamalochan Kashyap, Superintendent of Police Bijapur Dr Jitendra Kumar Yadav, Superintendent of Police STF Shri Vijay Pandey, family members of the martyrs & public representatives gave a "Guard of Honour" to the soldiers martyred in the police-Maoist encounter at Bijapur on February 10.