Naxals strangle locals with ropes as result of recent police encounter member

BIJAPUR (Chhattisgarh): In a chilling reminder of their dwindling yet dangerous presence, Naxals allegedly strangled three villagers with ropes in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Tuesday evening. Officials believe the act was a desperate attempt to instill fear among locals as the Maoist movement continues to weaken under heavy pressure from security forces.

The identities of the victims are being verified, and police have launched a detailed investigation into the incident, which took place even as the Bastar region — once the core of Left-Wing Extremism — sees sweeping counterinsurgency gains.

Bastar IG Sundarraj Pattilingam said, “The Maoist movement is in its final days. Their leadership is fractured and demoralised. Only around 300 armed cadres remain in the Dandakaranya zone, and they must either surrender or face an all-out confrontation.”

According to him, the top Maoist decision-making body, the Central Committee, hasn’t convened in years, leaving a dwindling group of ageing and inactive Politburo members in control.

Former DGP and Naxal expert R.K. Vij noted that the movement has shifted from ideological warfare to sheer criminality, creating an “ideological vacuum.”

This month saw a major breakthrough when Central Committee member Sudhakar — with a ₹40 lakh bounty — was killed in an encounter in Bijapur’s National Park area. His death followed the elimination of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, a veteran insurgent with a ₹1.5 crore reward on his head.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed Basavaraju’s killing as a “historic victory,” marking the first time in three decades that a Maoist general secretary-ranked leader was neutralised by Indian forces.

From 2023 to June 9, 2025, there have been 253 encounters in the Bastar Range alone, with 429 Maoists killed — including 192 this year. A total of 1,812 Maoists have surrendered or been arrested, and 606 weapons and 916 IEDs have been seized.

“The fight continues — but this is the closest we’ve ever come to ending the insurgency,” IG Sundarraj said.