In a major counter-insurgency operation, security forces killed senior Maoist leader Ganesh Uike along with three other armed cadres during an exchange of fire in Kandhamal district, police said on Thursday.
Uike, a Central Committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist), was among the most wanted insurgent commanders operating in the region and was carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 1.10 crore.
According to reports, the encounter took place in the Chakapada police station area after security forces received specific intelligence about the presence of Maoists hiding in the forested terrain.
Acting on the inputs, a joint operation was launched involving the Special Operations Group (SOG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Border Security Force (BSF). During combing operations, Maoist cadres allegedly opened fire on the advancing teams, prompting retaliation by the forces.
Security officials said a total of 23 teams from the three forces were involved in the operation. Four Maoists were killed in the exchange, including Uike. Two of those killed were women cadres, police added. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, and search operations in the surrounding areas were continuing to rule out the presence of additional insurgents.
Ganesh Uike, aged around 69, was a senior commander of the Maoist Central Committee and one of the top leaders of the CPI (Maoist). A native of Telangana’s Nalgonda district, he had been operating from Odisha for several years and was entrusted with key organisational responsibilities in the state.
Security sources said Uike played a significant role in coordinating Maoist activities across Odisha, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. He was allegedly involved in strengthening the Maoist network by facilitating recruitment into the armed wing and was linked to multiple incidents of violence across the three states.
His ability to evade security forces for a prolonged period had made him a high-value target for counter-insurgency operations.
Police officials said the operation was launched after actionable intelligence suggested that a group of armed Maoists, including senior leaders, had taken shelter in the Chakapada area. The terrain, known for dense forests and difficult access, has been used by Maoist cadres as a transit and hideout zone in the past.
The joint teams conducted coordinated movement and area domination exercises before the exchange of fire occurred. Authorities said standard operating procedures were followed during the operation, and the situation was brought under control after the firing stopped.
Following the encounter, Odisha Director General of Police Y B Khurania said the elimination of Ganesh Uike marked a significant development in the state’s anti-Maoist operations. He stated that the police had set a clear target to eradicate Maoist activities in Odisha by March 2026.
"We have a series of encounters in Kandhamal in which six Maoists have been neutralised, including the top leader, Ganesh Uikey, a central committee member and head of the Naxal outfit in Odisha... The operation was a joint effort by our SOG, CRPF and BSF. We have also recovered a large number of arms and ammunition, various electronic gadgets, walkie-talkies, mobile detectors, and a lot of camp equipment, including medical supplies. This is a great success for all our forces... I request all the Maoists to renounce violence and join the mainstream," said DGP Khurania to ANI.The DGP also said the state’s surrender and rehabilitation policy for Maoists was among the most effective in the country and had shown positive results. He appealed to remaining cadres to surrender and return to the mainstream, assuring them of rehabilitation as per government policy.
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