New Delhi: With the Centre setting a target to make India free of Maoism by March 31, 2026, the deadline is drawing closer. Against this backdrop, around 300 Maoists, including four senior commanders, are currently on the radar of security forces, a Home Ministry official said Wednesday.
The four top members of the banned CPI (Maoist) central committee have been identified as Sisir Besra alias Bhaskar; Devji alias Kumbh Dada alias Chetan; Ramanna alias Ganapati alias Laxman Rao; and Mallah Raja Reddy alias Sagar. Security agencies are intensifying efforts to capture them, dead or alive.
Following intelligence inputs Tuesday about the presence of Devji and his deputy Kesa Sodhi along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, a major operation has been launched in the area. Officials said all senior commanders, except Reddy, who is believed to be hiding in Odisha, remain active in the region.
Authorities have asked them to surrender, warning that they would otherwise be neutralised by the end of March. Rewards ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 1 crore have already been announced for information leading to their capture.
Officials said growing internal discord, alleged exploitation and external pressure have led to an increase in surrenders by Maoist cadres. However, security personnel continue to face significant challenges in tracking those who refuse to lay down arms.
In October 2025, the Home Ministry said Maoist activity had been largely confined to Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur, Sukma and Narayanpur districts. The number of districts affected by Left-wing extremism has declined from 18 to 11, according to the ministry.
With the new financial year approaching, security forces have intensified combing operations in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division, including Sukma and Bijapur, as well as along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh-Telangana tri-junction, in a bid to eliminate Maoism from the country.
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