Daijiworld Media Network - Bijapur
Raipur/Bijapur, Feb 5: Security forces achieved a major success in Chhattisgarh’s anti-Maoist campaign on Thursday, killing a high-ranking Maoist leader, Udham Singh, during a joint operation in the forested and hilly terrain under Tarrem police station limits in southern Bijapur district.
Acting on intelligence regarding Singh’s presence along with other armed cadres, teams from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) Bijapur and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) launched a search operation, Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav told reporters. The operation led to intermittent exchanges of fire starting around 7 a.m., continuing for several hours amid difficult forest terrain.
Udham Singh, a South Bastar Division Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) and in-charge of Platoon No 30, was killed during the encounter. Singh, a resident of Kottaguda village under Basaguda police station, carried a reward of ?8 lakh. He had joined the CPI (Maoist) in 2002-03 and had been active along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, including a three-year stint in the Pamed Area Committee.
Authorities linked Singh to multiple criminal cases and major Maoist attacks, including assaults on police parties in Gundam (2023), Putkel-Chipurabhatti (2024), and the Jidpalli camp (2024).
From the encounter site, security forces recovered an AK-47 rifle with two magazines and 28 rounds, explosives, cordex wire, a wireless set, mobile phone, and other Maoist-related material.
Senior officials, including IG Sundarraj P. and DIG (Ops) CRPF BS Negi, highlighted the operation’s success, noting its contribution to dismantling Maoist networks in Bastar.
The encounter adds to Bijapur’s strong anti-Naxal performance. In 2025, security forces eliminated 163 Maoists. In 2026 alone, 11 have been neutralized, bringing the total from January 2024 to 232 Maoists. Additionally, 1,163 arrests and 888 surrenders under rehabilitation programs have been recorded.
With the Union government’s March 31, 2026, deadline for eradicating Left-Wing Extremism nearing, authorities said such operations are crucial to restoring peace and enabling development in previously insurgency-affected areas. Search operations in the region continue to eliminate remaining threats.