Daijiworld Media Network - Raipur

Raipur, Aug 13: In a major success for Chhattisgarh’s anti-Maoist operations, security forces gunned down two senior Maoist commanders — Vijay Reddy and Lokesh Salame — during a fierce encounter in the forested Banda Pahad region near Karekatta village, close to the Kanker border, on Wednesday evening.

The gunfight erupted after a joint team of the District Police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) acted on specific intelligence and launched a search operation around 5 pm.

“On being surrounded, Maoists opened fire. Security forces retaliated, and after an intense exchange, both leaders were neutralised,” said Superintendent of Police Yashpal Singh.

The bodies of the slain Maoists were recovered along with an INSAS rifle, a .303 rifle, and other Maoist supplies. Combing operations are underway in the dense forest zone to search for more rebels who may have fled or been injured.

High-Profile Targets

• Vijay Reddy (55), a native of Andhra Pradesh and a top member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), carried a Rs 25 lakh reward.
• Lokesh Salame (40), from Rajnandgaon district, was a divisional committee head with a Rs 10 lakh bounty.

Both were key figures in Maoist operations across Rajnandgaon, Kanker, and bordering districts and were responsible for multiple attacks over the years.

The area where the encounter occurred has long been a Maoist stronghold, reportedly used by Company No. 5 of the CPI (Maoist) for training and as a hideout for senior commanders.

Growing Crackdown

This operation marks another high point in Chhattisgarh’s intensified crackdown on left-wing extremism. So far in 2025, security forces have neutralised 229 Maoists, including 208 in the Bastar division alone.

Despite difficult terrain and monsoon conditions, forces continue pushing deeper into Maoist-occupied zones in an effort to dismantle the remaining insurgent networks and restore peace in the region.