Top Maoist leaders Urmila and Buchanna among six killed in Bijapur operation

Six Naxalites, including top Maoist leaders Urmila and Buchanna Kudiyam, were killed in a joint operation by security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. The slain rebels carried a collective bounty of ₹27 lakh, officials said, calling it a major success

Bijapur: Dreaded Maoist leaders Urmila, wife of senior operative Papa Rao, as well as Buchanna Kudiyam, are among the six Naxalites killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on November 11, a police official said on Thursday.

The six, who were gunned down in the forests of Kandulnar and Kachlaram villages in remote pockets of Indravati national park area, carried a total bounty of Rs 27 lakh, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Yadav said in a press conference.

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While Buchanna alias Kanna (35) was the mastermind behind several major Naxal attacks over the past decade targeting security forces, civilians, and development projects, Urmila was the main handler of logistical supplies for the PLGA (People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army) battalion of Maoists.

The operation involving personnel of District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Bijapur and Dantewada and Special Task Force (STF), both units of state police, was launched based on inputs about the presence of Maoist leaders, including Special Zonal Committee Member (SZCM) Papa Rao, his wife, and Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) Urmila, DVCM and in charge of Madded area committee Kanna alias Buchanna, and DVCM Mohan Kadti, along with 50-60 cadres, Yadav said.

“While Urmila, Buchanna, and four other cadres were neutralised in the gunfight, other senior leaders managed to escape. Four other deceased have been identified as Area Committee Member Jagat Tamo alias Tamo, who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, and platoon members Deve, Bhagat, and Mangli Oyam, carrying rewards of Rs 2 lakh each,” the SP informed.

“Buchanna, who carried a Rs 8 lakh bounty, was considered one of the most dreaded Maoist leaders operating in south Bastar. He was a key planner and executor of major Naxal attacks over the past decade, targeting security forces, civilians, and development projects. As many as 42 criminal cases were registered against him in different police stations of Bijapur district, and 18 arrest warrants were pending,” Yadav said.

Buchanna played a key role in the July 2008 Kongupalli police post attack and January 2016 Nuknarpal camp attack, triggering IED blasts, which were foiled due to timely police response, he said.

“He was allegedly involved in murdering more than 20 villagers after accusing them of acting as police informers, triggering six IED blasts, torching vehicles and mobile towers. His death marks the end of a long and violent chapter of Maoist terror in the region,” Yadav asserted.

Evidence recovered from the encounter site, including documents and digital devices, indicates Buchanna maintained links with an urban support network of Maoists, and these connections are being probed, the SP added.

“Urmila, who carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh, was secretary of the Pamed Area Committee, which is considered one of the most violent Maoist units in the region. She was a key operative responsible for recruitment, ideological propaganda, and mobilising local support for the outlawed organisation,” he said.

She was also in charge of logistical supplies for the PLGA (People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army) battalion, managing the delivery of rations, uniforms, medicines, and other essential materials, he said.

Her killing has delivered a major blow to the Maoist organisation as it has weakened the Pamed Area Committee’s operational strength and the PLGA’s supply chain network, Yadav added.

Two INSAS rifles with five magazines (68 rounds), one 9mm carbine with three magazines (22 rounds), one .303 rifle with one magazine (13 rounds), one single-shot rifle, one 12-bore gun (8 rounds), radio sets, scanners, multimeters, hand grenades, safety fuses, explosive material, Maoist literature, uniforms, medical supplies and other materials were recovered from the spot, the SP informed.

So far this year, 144 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters, 499 cadres arrested, and 560 have surrendered in Bijapur district, he said. Bastar Range Inspector General of Police, Bastar Sundarraj P, said, in the last 20 months, bodies of 447 Maoist cadres, including many Central Committee Members, DKSZC Members, PLGA cadres, have been recovered in Bastar division comprising seven districts.

“Our goal is clear: a peaceful and Naxal-free Bastar. In the current circumstances, the Maoist organization is completely cornered and has no option left but to abandon the path of violence and return to the mainstream,” the IG said.