Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: Maoist Central Committee member Ganesh Uike and five other Naxalites have been neutralised so far in a major operation in the forests of Kandhmal, Odisha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Thursday.
In a message posted on ‘X’, Shah termed it 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, he said.
CPI(Maoist) central committee member Uike, who carried a bounty of Rs 1.1 crore on his head, was the chief of the banned outfit in Odisha, a senior officer heading anti-Naxal operations in the state said.
The encounter with security forces took place in a forest in the Chakapad police station area, he said.
Ganesh Uike, 69, also known by his aliases Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari, Chamru and Rupa, was a native of Pullemala village under Chendur mandal in Telangana’s Nalgonda district.
The identity of the other Naxals, including two women, was yet to be ascertained, the police officer said.
