Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced the neutralisation of high-ranking Maoist Central Committee member Ganesh Uike and five other insurgents during a major security operation in the forests of Odisha's Kandhamal district.

Describing the development on social media as a "significant milestone towards Naxal-free Bharat," Shah stated that the breakthrough positions Odisha to fully eradicate the insurgency. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to completely eliminate Naxalism across the country by March 31, 2026.

According to a senior officer leading anti-Naxal operations, Uike was the chief of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation in Odisha and carried a bounty of Rs 1.1 crore on his head. The 69-year-old commander, who also operated under the aliases Rajesh Tiwari, Chamru, Rupa, and Pakka Hanumantu, was originally from the Nalgonda district of Telangana.

The fatal encounter took place in a forested region under the jurisdiction of the Chakapad police station. While Uike’s identity has been confirmed, authorities are still working to establish the identities of the other five insurgents, a group that includes two women.

"In a major operation in Kandhamal, Odisha, 6 Naxalites, including Central Committee Member Ganesh Uike, have been neutralised so far. With this major breakthrough, Odisha stands at the threshold of becoming completely free from Naxalism. We are resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026," Shah wrote in his post.

With inputs from PTI