Communist Party of India, in a strongly worded statement, condemned the killing of Communist Party of India (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao and 27 Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district, calling it “cold-blooded killing of a senior Maoist leader along with several Adivasis in Chhattisgarh.”
“It is yet another instance of extrajudicial action carried out under the guise of counterinsurgency operations,” read a statement by CPI.
The statement reads: “The repeated use of lethal force instead of lawful arrest raises serious concerns about the State’s commitment to democratic norms and the rule of law. If the authorities had credible intelligence about the whereabouts of the leader, why was a legal arrest not pursued? Why was due process—guaranteed by the Constitution—so blatantly ignored.”
According to the left party, these killings “not only point to a dangerous pattern of State violence but also expose the ongoing marginalisation of Adivasi communities in the region.”
“Time and again, these communities are caught in the crossfire of a conflict they did not initiate, and are treated as collateral in operations marked by impunity,” the statement added.
CPI further demanded an independent judicial inquiry into this episode and the entire Operation Kagar.
“The people of Chhattisgarh—and India at large—deserve to know the truth,” the CPI demanded.
It added: “A democratic society cannot allow the State to become the judge, jury, and executioner. Justice must be served, and the dignity and rights of Adivasi lives must be upheld. CPI calls upon all democratic and progressive forces to raise their voices against this injustice and stand in solidarity with the people of Chhattisgarh.”
PM, HM hail killings of Maoists as “victory”
At least 27 members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), including its general secretary and top leader Nambala Keshava Rao, were killed in an alleged encounter with security forces in the Abujhmad region of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Wednesday morning.
One officer from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) also lost his life in the operation.
According to reports, the joint operation was carried out by the DRG teams from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon districts. It was based on intelligence inputs that a senior Maoist leader was hiding in a specific location in Abujhmad.
Among the 27 Maoists reportedly killed was Nambala Keshava Rao, a top figure in the CPI (Maoist), who carried a bounty of ₹1.5 crore on his head.
Intelligence officials in the Telugu states noted that Rao, also known as Raju, served as a key conduit between the northern and southern divisions of the Maoist organization. His death is being viewed as a severe setback to the group.
This marks the first instance in the over four-decade-long history of the Maoist movement that its highest-ranking leader has been killed in an encounter.
Sixty-eight-year-old Rao assumed leadership of the CPI (Maoist) in 2018 after the former chief, Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi, stepped down due to age-related issues.
Known by multiple aliases—Basavaraju, Ganganna, Prakash, Krishna, Vijay, Keshav, Raju, and Umesh—Rao was regarded as an expert in improvised explosive devices and guerrilla tactics.
He led the party’s central military commission and central committee and was a member of its politburo.
He is believed to have masterminded the 2010 landmine attack on CRPF personnel in Chintalnar, Chhattisgarh, which claimed the lives of 75 personnel. He was also reportedly behind the 2013 ambush in Jhiram Ghati that resulted in the deaths of several senior Congress leaders.
A native of Jitannapeta village in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, Rao was an alumnus of the Regional Engineering College in Warangal, now known as the National Institute of Technology.
He became involved with the People’s War (PW) group while pursuing his M.Tech in 1984 and was among its founding members.
Calling the development “a landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated, “This is the first time in three decades of Bharat’s battle against Naxalism that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralized by our forces.”
He further added, “I applaud our brave security forces and agencies for this major breakthrough.”
Prime Minister PM Modi posted on X: “Proud of our forces for this remarkable success. Our Government is committed to eliminating the menace of Maoism and ensuring a life of peace and progress for our people.”
Following the encounter, Inspector General of Police for the Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, said, “One DRG team member was martyred while confronting the attack. A few other personnel sustained injuries during the encounter. The search operation is ongoing.”
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also took to X and wrote, “The streak of victories continues in the decisive battle against Naxalism. In Narayanpur district, DRG personnel, with their indomitable courage, have neutralized 27 Naxalites.”
He went on to say, “in line with the resolve of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji to eradicate Naxalism by March 2026, Naxalism is moving toward its end in the state through the combined efforts of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai and security forces.”
He added that he “prayed for the peace of the soul of the martyred DRG personnel in this encounter and for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
As part of the large-scale anti-Naxal operation codenamed ‘Black Forest’ in and around the Kareguttalu hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, security forces reported having killed 31 Naxalites, arrested 54, and facilitated the surrender of 84 others across Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
 general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao and 27 Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district, calling it “cold-blooded killing of a senior Maoist leader along with several Adivasis in Chhattisgarh.”){kind=link}