In a significant development, more than 14 Naxals were killed during a joint anti-Naxal operation in Gariaband district, Chhattisgarh. Among those neutralized was Jairam alias Chalpati, a member of the Naxalite Central Committee, who had a reward of one crore rupees on his head. The operation, which began on Sunday, resulted in the death of several senior Maoist cadres and the recovery of a large cache of weapons, including automatic rifles such as SLRs, according to Gariaband Superintendent of Police, Nikhil Rakhecha.
The operation was a joint effort by the Gariaband Operation Group E30, Cobra 207, CRPF 65 and 211 Battalions, and the SOG Nuapada, targeting the Kulhadighat area. SP Rakhecha stated that further details would be shared once the operation is fully concluded.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma hailed the operation as a significant victory, highlighting the killing of Jairam as a major achievement. “In two days, 14 Naxals were killed, and notably, Odisha cadre CC member Jairam was neutralized in Chhattisgarh. This is the first time in Naxal operations that a CC member has been killed. Jairam had a reward of more than one crore rupees on his head, making this a huge success for the police. Numerous automatic weapons were also seized during the operation. By March 2026, we will eradicate Naxalism not just from Chhattisgarh, but from all of India,” Sharma stated.
Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Arun Sao also reiterated Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s pledge to eliminate Naxalism across the country by March 31, 2026. He congratulated the security forces for their success in Gariaband and emphasized that ending Naxalism was crucial for the state’s development. “Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that we will make the nation Naxal-free by 31st March 2026. Our security forces are working relentlessly towards this goal, and they are achieving constant success. I extend my congratulations to them for their efforts in Gariaband,” Sao said.
Earlier, on January 12, five Naxals, including two women, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur. Several weapons, including an SLR rifle, 12-bore rifle, single-shot rifles, a BGL launcher, and a locally made Bharmar gun, were recovered from the forests near the National Park area in Bijapur district, along with explosives, Maoist literature, and other Naxal-related materials.
