At least 14 Naxalites, including Jayram, alias Chalapati, a member of the Naxalite central committee carrying a bounty of Rs 1 crore, were killed in an encounter with the police on the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border this morning. Weapons, including AK-47, SLR…

Tribune News Service

At least 14 Naxalites, including Jayram, alias Chalapati, a member of the Naxalite central committee carrying a bounty of Rs 1 crore, were killed in an encounter with the police on the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border this morning.

Weapons, including AK-47, SLR and INSAS rifles, were recovered from the Naxals.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the operation. “Another mighty blow to Naxalism. Our security forces have achieved a major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SOG, Odisha and the Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. With our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today,” he said in a post on X. Chalapati, who was around 60 years old, belonged to Madanapalle in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and had studied till Class X.

Despite his modest educational background, he had risen to prominence in the Maoist ranks, becoming a member of the central committee, a top decision-making body of the organisation.

Owing to his significant role in the Naxal hierarchy, Chalapati had attracted a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head.Chalapati was familiar with the dense forests of Bastar and his security detail comprised eight to10 personal guards.

His tactical expertise, leadership skills and ability to mobilise resources in challenging terrains earned him notoriety as one of the most-wanted Maoist leaders in the region.Chalapati’s swift rise through the Maoist ranks came after he executed several high-profile attacks, including one of killing an MLA.

He was accused of being the mastermind of the September 23, 2018, attack in Dumbriguda Mandal of Araku in which Kidari Sarveswara Rao, TDP MLA from Araku Valley, and former TDP MLA Siveri Soma were shot dead.

Tuesday’s incident comes four days after an IED attack by Naxals left two BSF personnel injured in Narayanpur district, Chhattisgarh.

This followed a similar incident on January 16, when two CRPF jawans were injured in a pressure IED blast planted by Naxalites near Putkel village under the Basaguda police station in Bijapur district. Earlier, on January 12, five Naxalites, including two women, were killed in an encounter with the security forces in National Park area.