In the first reported clash since Maoist insurgents proposed a ceasefire, security forces allegedly shot dead three Maoists during an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Saturday.
According to officials, the bodies of two Maoists were recovered immediately after the gunfight, while the remains of another were found later, bringing the total death toll to three.
The encounter unfolded around 9 a.m. in the dense forest region beyond the Indravati River in Bhairamgarh, an area long known as a Naxalite stronghold, flanked by Dantewada district and the remote Abujhmad forests of Narayanpur district.
“Two Maoists were neutralized during the operation. Our personnel are unharmed, and intermittent firing is still underway,” a senior official confirmed during the operation.
The coordinated operation was carried out by joint teams of the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) elite CoBRA unit, the Special Task Force (STF), and the District Reserve Guard (DRG), who were acting on intelligence reports indicating the presence of Maoists in the area.
With this encounter, the total number of Maoists killed in anti-insurgency operations across Chhattisgarh this year has risen to 137, of which 121 were neutralized in the Bastar region alone.
The encounter comes just days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a visit to Dantewada on April 5, addressed Maoists as “brothers” and urged them to abandon violence and integrate into mainstream society.
Ahead of Shah’s visit, Maoist groups had signaled a willingness to discuss peace, offering a conditional ceasefire. One of their key demands was a halt to the expansion of new police camps in Maoist-dominated areas — a condition the government did not accept.
In a follow-up letter, the Maoists reiterated their interest in dialogue but accused the government of rejecting their preconditions, which they claimed rendered talks “impractical.”
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma on Thursday reiterated the state’s readiness to engage in dialogue, stating the government was open to unconditional talks if the Maoists showed genuine intent to return to the mainstream.
Sharma assured that concerns about pending criminal cases and rehabilitation would be addressed during discussions and that the safety of Maoist representatives would be guaranteed. “I am ready to initiate a conversation with one or more Naxals, through any platform,” Sharma added.
