Security forces kill two dreaded Naxals carrying combined bounty of Rs 1.16 crore in Chhattisgarh

New Delhi [India], August 14 (ANI): The security forces have neutralised two dreaded naxal cadres carrying a combined bounty of Rs 1.16 crore during a gun battle in Chhattisgarh's Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district.
Vijay Reddy, a member of the Dandkaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), who carried a bounty of Rs 90 lakh, and Lokesh Salame, Secretary of the Rajnandgaon-Kanker Border (RKB) division, with a reward of Rs 26 lakh on his head, were neutralised in a joint operation by the Chhattisgarh Police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), and the 27th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on August 13 in the state's insurgency-hit region.
The gun battle erupted during a coordinated anti-Naxal operation, the ITBP said in a statement. "Security forces had been tracking the movement of the duo in the dense forest belt when the exchange of fire broke out."
According to officials, the elimination of Reddy and Salame is considered a major blow to Naxal operations in the Dandkaranya region and along the Rajnandgaon-Kanker border. Weapons and other naxal-related materials were recovered from the site.
The slain ultras were on the hunt among leaders of the North Bastar region for the past two decades.
"The gunfight started at around 5 pm on August 13 when suspected Naxals started firing on seeing the security forces and lasted for about three hours," said the ITBP in a statement.
After searching the encounter area, once the fire was stopped, two firearms--an INSAS rifle and a .303 rifle, a walkie-talkie and daily use items were recovered from the spot, along with many other materials.
In a press conference of the District Police-Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, held at Mohla, Superintendent of Police YP Singh and Commandant of the 27th Battalion ITBP Vivek Kumar Pandey provided the details of the encounter.
Deliberating about further details, the SP said that the slain Left Wing Extremists (LWEs) or Naxals were some very senior cadres of the North Bastar and RKB division. "With the elimination of these, an era of LWE terror and atrocities has ended.:
Vijay Reddy alias Chinanna alias Naganna alias Shankar, 55, a resident of Balarampuram Mandal, Atmakur, has been considered as the 'ghost' of the LWEs in the area for decades.
Functioning as a Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) member and in charge of the RKB division, Reddy was wanted by the state police in three states: Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Telangana, which have declared a bounty on him. He was tracked by the Bastar and Rajnandgaon ranges of the Chhattisgarh Police. The Chhattisgarh Police has declared a bounty of Rs 25 lakh, Maharashtra Police Rs 25 lakh, Telangana Police Rs 20 lakh and Andhra Pradesh Police Rs 20 lakh a total of 90 lakh.
Lokesh Salame, 35, has been another dreaded face in the region. He was instrumental in mobilising the local cadres in the erstwhile Rajnandgaon District and later in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki. He had been leading the RKB division since January 2025. He was the secretary of the division. The Chhattisgarh Police has declared a bounty of Rs 10 lakh, and Maharashtra Police 16 Lakh- a total of 26 Lakh. There was no picture of him available with the agencies.
The Rajnandgaon police range has been infamous for the deadly attack on July 12, 2009, in which ambushes were laid by hundreds of armed LWEs, in which SP VK Chaube and 28 other policemen were martyred. It was believed that LWE company number four from Garhchiroli and company number five from North Bastar, along with local LWE, planned and executed the same. Reddy was believed to be part of the execution of that deadly plan. Many killings of civilians in the area were also executed on his directions.
The centre deployed the ITBP in the same year, and since then, the force has been actively dominating the area, resulting in restoring peace and faster development.
The Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki has seen unprecedented success in operations against LWEs in the past year. Apart from two top naxal leaders, a DKSZC member and DVCM Secretary were killed, one DVCM has been arrested, and one DVCM has surrendered, while four ACMs have also surrendered. More than one dozen overground workers have been arrested by the forces.
The Chhattisgarh Police and ITBP in the area had appealed to the remaining active LWEs to surrender. Under operation 'Prayas,' the forces have been continuously approaching the family members of the LWEs and provided them with the information on the surrender and rehabilitation policy of the government and organising many winning hearts and minds and public outreach programmes in the district. (ANI)