Top Naxal Commander Basavaraju Among 27 Killed in Major Encounter in Chhattisgarh

In a massive success for security forces, 27 Naxalites, including top CPI(Maoist) leader Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, were eliminated in a fierce encounter in the dense forests of Abujhmad in Narayanpur district, Chhattisgarh.

Basavaraju, the current General Secretary of CPI(Maoist), took charge in 2017 after Ganapathy stepped down due to health issues. A key ideologue and strategist, he was active in Naxal operations for over four decades and linked to more than 200 incidents, including the 2003 Alipiri attack on the then Andhra Pradesh CM, the 2010 Dantewada CRPF massacre, and the 2013 Jhiram Ghati ambush.

Following the encounter, security personnel recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including AK-47s, INSAS rifles, SLRs, carbines, .303 rifles, and other warlike equipment. This marks one of the biggest blows to the Maoist insurgency in recent years.