Who was Maoist leader Chalapati; why he carried ₹1cr bounty
What's the story
Senior Maoist leader Jayaram Reddy alias Chalapati, who had a ₹1 crore bounty on his head, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district. A joint team of District Reserve Guard, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), CoBRA commandos of Chhattisgarh, and Special Operation Group of Odisha carried out the operation. The operation was based on intelligence about Maoists in the Kularighat reserve forest near the Odisha border.
Leadership skills
Chalapati's rise to prominence within Maoist ranks
Chalapati, who was in his 60s and belonged to Madanapalle in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, rose through the ranks of Maoists despite little formal education. He was known for his tactical skills and leadership qualities. His importance in the Maoist network was highlighted by a security detail of 8-10 personal guards. Equipped with sophisticated weapons like AK-47s and SLR rifles, he was instrumental in making strategies and leading operations for the group.
Operation success
Encounter marks significant blow to Maoist insurgency
The encounter in which Chalapati was killed dealt a major blow to the Maoist insurgency in India. Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed it "another mighty blow to Naxalism," adding security forces achieved "major success toward building a Naxal-free Bharat." Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also lauded the security forces for their efforts. A huge cache of firearms, ammunition, and IEDs was recovered from the encounter site.
Anti-Maoist campaign
Government's efforts to eradicate Maoist violence
In 2024, security forces killed more than 200 Maoists in Chhattisgarh, with most casualties in the Bastar region. The government hopes to wipe out Maoist violence by March 2026. Last year, 800 Maoists were arrested and another 802 laid down arms. The ongoing operations are part of efforts to push back extremists and break their strongholds.