Basava Raju: ‘Maoist organisation is now headless’: How a 72-hour operation took out top commander Basava Raju in Chhattisgarh forests | Raipur News

RAIPUR: At least 27 Maoists were gunned down by Chhattisgarh’s District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans in a major encounter in the forests of Abujhmarh in Narayanpur district of Bastar on Wednesday morning. Sources said CPI (Maoist) general secretary Basava Raju, also known as Nambala Keshava Rao, was among those eliminated in the operation. “The Maoist organisation is now headless,” a senior intelligence officer said, requesting anonymity. A senior SP told TOI that several surrendered cadres had identified Basava’s body. “It’s him. We got him,” he said. Confirmation of a high-profile kill takes time because police seek foolproof identification, including, if needed, DNA tests. “It’s a historic day in the fight against Naxalism. We got No. 1 of the Maoists,” said another senior officer. Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said: “The operations are mainly carried out by the DRG. I salute their bravery. We have been appealing to Maoists to surrender. There is no need to keep repeating it.” “The operation has been going on for 72 hours,” deputy CM and home minister Vijay Sharma added. Bastar range IG P Sundarraj told TOI: “So far, 27 Naxalite bodies and a large number of weapons have been recovered during the operation. A DRG jawan was killed in the fierce encounter.” The operation followed over 15 days of elaborate planning, sources said. State forces acted after confirming Basava Raju’s presence in the Orchha region of Abujhmarh, over 60km from the district headquarters and 300km from Raipur. Inputs were gathered from Andhra Pradesh police and surrendered Maoist cadres to zero in on the top commander. Basava Raju was among a group of Maoist Central Committee and Politburo members camping in Abujhmarh, protected by hardcore PLGA cadres and senior Marh Division members. DRG teams from four districts—Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon—moved in after receiving intelligence on the camp’s precise location. Gunfights broke out in a dense jungle patch, 15-20km from Orchha. The guns fell silent on Wednesday after the Maoists broke off and retreated. “A few security personnel sustained injuries during the encounter. All the injured have been given immediate medical attention and are now out of danger. The search operation is still ongoing,” an officer said. Official sources said Basava Raju, who carried a Rs 1.5 crore bounty, was among those killed. According to a police statement, this was the biggest encounter ever in Abujhmarh. “After reviewing all the facts and information obtained from this crucial operation, it is estimated that several senior-level Maoist cadres have either been killed or seriously injured,” the statement added. A police officer said it would take at least 24 hours for the troops to return. “Despite difficult geographical conditions and multiple challenges, security forces are advancing with this decisive campaign against left-wing extremism with full commitment and determination,” the IG said.