Security forces killed a senior Maoist commander, Renuka alias Banu, during an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Monday. Renuka, who had a ?25 lakh bounty on her head, was the media chief of the Naxal organization and a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC). The encounter, part of a larger anti-Naxal operation, occurred in the dense forests along the Dantewada-Bijapur border. Security personnel recovered Renuka’s body, an INSAS rifle, ammunition, and other supplies. The operation comes just ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to Dantewada.
In a separate development, 50 Naxalites surrendered in Bijapur district on Sunday, including 14 high-profile insurgents with bounties totaling ?6.8 crore. The surrender was facilitated by the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), and the CRPF’s CoBRA unit. Among the surrendered, six carried ?8 lakh bounties, three had ?5 lakh rewards, and five were wanted with ?1 lakh bounties. Authorities confirmed that these individuals would be rehabilitated under the government’s surrender and reintegration policy.
The intensified crackdown on Maoist insurgents is part of the government’s mission to eliminate Naxalism by March 31, 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Chhattisgarh to inaugurate development projects worth over ?33,700 crore. Recent operations in Sukma and Bijapur resulted in the deaths of 18 Naxalites, including 11 women. In 2024 alone, security forces have neutralized 134 Naxalites in Chhattisgarh, with 118 of them in the Bastar region. Additionally, 792 Naxalites have surrendered in Bastar this year, marking significant progress in the state’s efforts to combat insurgency.
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