A woman Naxalite carrying a bounty of ₹25 lakh was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Monday, officials confirmed.
The gunfight took place around 9 AM in a forest along the Dantewada-Bijapur border during an anti-Naxalite operation conducted by security personnel, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said. The operation, involving the District Reserve Guard (DRG), was launched in the forests of Geedam (Dantewada) and Bhairamgarh (Bijapur).
Following the exchange of fire, security forces recovered the body of the deceased woman, identified as Renuka alias Chaite alias Saraswati, a resident of Warangal in Telangana. According to officials, she was a special zonal committee member and in charge of the press team of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee—the most powerful Maoist formation in the region.
Along with her body, an INSAS rifle, other weapons, and explosives were recovered from the encounter site.
Intensified Anti-Naxal Operations in Bastar
This encounter adds to the rising number of Naxalites neutralized by security forces in Chhattisgarh this year. So far, 135 Maoists have been killed in encounters across the state, with 119 of them eliminated in the Bastar division, which comprises seven districts, including Dantewada and Bijapur.
The Union government has ramped up its efforts to eliminate Naxalism, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterating the commitment to eradicating Maoist insurgency by March 31, 2026, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Saturday, security forces killed 18 Naxalites, including 11 women, in twin encounters in Sukma and Bijapur districts. Earlier this month, 30 Maoists were gunned down in two separate encounters in Bijapur and Kanker districts.
Sources By Agencies