Besides Keshava Rao, the CPI (Maoist) General Secretary, Madhu, a top leader of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, and Naveen, a leader associated with the Maoist publication, Jung, were also killed in the encounter.
Published May 21, 2025 | 5:30 PM ⚊ Updated May 21, 2025 | 7:19 PM
The NIA and police forces of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, too, were searching for Nambala Keshav Rao, who was killed in the encounter.
Synopsis: Terming the encounter a “landmark achievement”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the government’s resolve to eliminate Maoism before 31 March 2026. CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Nambala Keshava Rao was among those killed.
Senior Maoist leader Nambala Keshava Rao, aka Basavaraj, (71) was among more than 26 Left-wing extremists killed in a gun battle with security forces at the Abujhmad region of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district, the state Home Minister Vijay Sharma said on Wednesday, 21 May.
The reported encounter took place near Maad, a Maoist stronghold between Narayanpur and Bijapur districts, according to Telangana state intelligence sources.
Besides Keshava Rao, the CPI (Maoist) General Secretary, Madhu, a top leader of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, and Naveen, a leader associated with the Maoist publication, Jung, were also killed in the encounter between the Company-7 (Coy-7) of the Left extremists and District Reserve Guards (DRG) of the Chhattisgarh police.
Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar said bodies of 27 Naxalites, including that of Keshav Rao, were so far found. The police also seized several AK-47, SLR, INSAS, Carbine and other arms and ammunitions. A DRG trooper was also killed, and a few others were injured, in the operation.
The officer said DRG personnel from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon were combing the Abujhmad forest area since 19 May based on specific intelligence.
“On 21/05/2025 forenoon, Maoists opened indiscriminate fire upon the security forces. In retaliation security forces fought back bravely and tactfully against the illegal and banned CPI Maoist outfit,” he said.
Kumar further said several other senior Maoist cadres have either been killed or seriously injured in the operation. “Search operation for any injured or absconding Maoist cadres is being carried out in the nearby jungle area,” he added.
Terming the outcome of the gun battle “a landmark achievement”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the security forces had “neutralised 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, topmost leader, and the backbone of the Naxal movement”.
“This is the first time in three decades of Bharat’s battle against Naxalism that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralised by our forces,” Shah said on X.
While reiterating the Narendra Modi-led government’s resolve to eliminate Naxalism before 13 March, Shah said 54 Naxalites were arrested as part of Operation Black Forest. He added that “84 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra”.
Basavaraj was earlier elevated from Chief of the Military Commission (CMC) to General Secretary of the CPI (Maoist).
Traditionally, the head of the CMC is chosen to lead the party as General Secretary. With Devuji currently serving as CMC, Basavaraj’s reported death is considered a major blow to the Maoists. Intelligence sources said such a loss at the top level could seriously impair the Maoists’ ability to regroup and reorganise.
A landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism. Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralized 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, topmost leader, and the…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 21, 2025
The latest encounter was part of the ongoing Operation Kagar, described as the final phase of operations following previous offensives in Karreguttalu Hills and Abujhmad. Central paramilitary forces, who had briefly diverted for Operation Sindoor, have now returned and are actively combing the region.
Basavaraj, a resident of Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, was drawn into the Maoist movement during his student days in Warangal, where he was associated with the Radical Students Union (RSU).
Aged around 70, the Maoist leader was also wanted by the NIA and Telangana, and AP police. He also went by the aliases Gaganna and BR Dada.
(Updated with latest inputs from Narayanpur police. Edited by Majnu Babu).
