Dantewada Police 'Encounter' Bhairamgarh Area Committee Maoist Leader With Rs 5 Lakh Reward

Dantewada: The campaign to make the Bastar district in Chhattisgarh free of Naxalite/Maoist influence by March 31, the deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, achieved another significant success on Wednesday night. Dantewada Police killed a wanted Naxalite of the Bhairamgarh Area Committee of the banned CPI (Maoist) party in an encounter on the Dantewada-Bijapur border. Following the encounter, police also recovered a large cache of weapons, ammunition, and Naxalite literature from the scene.

Anti-Naxal Operations Intensify In Dantewada

According to the police, after they intensified search operations in the district in anticipation of the March 31 deadline, they received credible information that a group of Naxalite rebels had dumped weapons and material in the hilly, forested area between the villages of Gumlanar, Girsapara, and Nelgoda, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Geedam police station.

Upon receiving the information, a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Bastar Fighter Force was dispatched. It was led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Naxal Operations) Rahul Kumar Uyke, under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai. The police team launched an intensive search operation in the forest and hilly area at night.

Ambush, Followed By Firefight

SP Gaurav Rai said, between 8.30 pm and 9 pm on Wednesday night, as the police force advanced through the forest, around 8-10 armed Naxalites of the Bhairamgarh Area Committee, who had already been lying in ambush, launched a deadly attack on them, opening indiscriminate fire with illegal automatic weapons. He said the objective of the rebels was to kill the policemen and loot their weapons.

Rai said the police personnel displayed patience and restraint, taking cover and occupying advantageous positions, while they warned the Naxalites to surrender. But when the Naxalites continued firing, they returned fire with precision in self-defense. Seeing that the retaliatory police action was weakening them, the Naxalites began retreating under pressure. Taking advantage of the dense forest, hilly terrain, and darkness, most of the Naxalites eventually fled.

Body Of Rajesh Punem Identified, Carried Rs 5 Lakh Reward

Following the encounter, the police launched an intensive search operation throughout the area and recovered the body of an armed male Naxalite, who was identified by a surrendered Naxalite cadre as Rajesh Punem, an active member of the Bhairamgarh Area Committee who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh. Punem is said to be from Burji village in the Gangaluur police station area of ​​Bijapur district.

In addition, a large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and Naxalite material were also recovered from the scene. The recovered material included one SLR rifle, one INSAS rifle, one pistol with magazine, one walkie-talkie set, one SLR magazine, six live SLR rounds, one empty SLR shell, three INSAS magazines, five live INSAS rounds, 18 misfired INSAS rounds, three empty INSAS shells, five live pistol rounds, one empty pistol shell, and one pouch.

All Police Personnel Safe, Returned To District Headquarters

Police have taken possession of the bodies, weapons, and other material recovered from the encounter site. Keeping in mind the threat of IEDs and a possible ambush, they then conducted tactical movements like Road Opening Parties (ROP) and Area Domination Operations with utmost caution, before all personnel who had taken part in the operation, returned safely to the district headquarters in Dantewada.

Dantewada Police later said their continuous, ongoing campaign to make Bastar Naxal-free will continue in the future. The police administration also said their resolve to eradicate Naxalism remains strong and the campaign for peace and development in the region will continue unabated.

Anti-Naxal Success Over Last 3 Years

Year 2026

February 5: Maoist South Bastar Division DVCM, Udham Singh, was killed in the forests of Tarrem in Bijapur.

January 29: Two Naxalites killed in Bijapur encounter, AK-47 rifle, 9 mm pistol and ammunition recovered.

January 17-18: Six Naxalites, including four women, killed in an encounter in ​​Bijapur's the National Park area.

January 3: 12 Maoists carrying a bounty of Rs 60 lakh killed in Sukma encounter. AK-47, INSAS, SLR rifles recovered.

Year 2025

November 12, 2025: Six Naxalites killed in encounter in Bijapur National Park area.

May 21, 2025: 28 Naxalites, including top leader Basavaraju, killed.

May 15, 2025: 31 Naxalites killed on Karregutta hill in Bijapur.

April 12, 2025: Encounter on Dantewada-Bijapur border, three Naxalites killed.

March 31, 2025: Female Naxalite, carrying a bounty of Rs 4.5 lakh, killed on Dantewada-Bijapur border.

March 29, 2025: 17 bodies recovered in Sukma encounter, including a Naxalite involved in the Jhiram incident carrying a bounty of Rs 2.5 lakh.

March 20, 2025: 30 Naxalites killed in two encounters in Bijapur and Kanker.

February 9 2025: 31 Maoists killed in encounter in Bijapur district.

January 20-21, 2025: 16 Maoists killed in encounter in Gariaband district.

January 19, 2025: 14 Maoists, including central committee member Jayaram alias Chalapathi, killed.

January 16, 2025: 18 Maoists killed in encounter in Bijapur district.

Year 2024

November 22, 2024: 10 Maoists killed in encounter in Sukma district.

October 4, 2024: 38 Naxalites killed in encounter in Abujhmad.

May 10, 2024: 12 Naxalites killed in encounter in Bijapur district.

April 16, 2024: 29 Naxalites killed in encounter in Kanker district.

April 2, 2024: 13 Maoists killed in encounter in Bijapur district.