NEW DELHI, Dec 25: The security forces in Odisha neutralised a top Telugu Maoist commander, Ganesh Uike, who carried a staggering bounty of Rs 1.1 crore on his head and a high-ranking central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and head of its Odisha operations.
The 69nyear old Uike was killed by teams of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Rampa forest area bordering Kandhamal and Ganjam districts. Six Maoists, including two women cadres, were also killed in the encounter. Thursday’s operation marks one of the most significant blows to the Maoist insurgency in recent years, effectively decapitating the movement’s leadership in the state.
At approximately 9 am, security forces encountered an armed Maoist squad in the Rampa forest range. The insurgents opened fire, triggering a heavy exchange of bullets. By noon, security forces recovered the bodies of six Maoists from the site, including that of Ganesh Uike.
The death of Ganesh Uike has been described as a “backbone-breaking” blow to the insurgency in the state. These encounters come soon after the mass surrender of 22 Maoists in Malkangiri on December 23.
The security personnel recovered high-calibre weaponry from the site, including two INSAS rifles and a .303 rifle, signalling the high status of the neutralised squad. Known by various aliases, including Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari, and Rupa, Uike was a veteran insurgent originally from Nalgonda, Telangana. He was one of the few remaining members of the Maoist Central Committee, the group’s apex decision-making body.
For more than 40 years, the 69-year-old played a pivotal role in the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) and was the primary link between the central leadership and local units across what has been called the Red Corridor. He was the “brain” behind the movement’s expansion in the Eastern Ghats.
Uike was also one of the only three central committee members left (Ganesh Uike, Odisha/Mallaraji Reddy, alias Sangram, Chhattisgarh/Analda, alias Toofan, Jharkhand). The identities of three other Maoists killed in Thursday’s operation are being verified.
(Manas Dasgupta)
