Six Maoists, Including Senior Leader Ganesh Uike, Killed in Odisha Encounter

In a major blow to Maoist leadership, six Maoists, including senior Central Committee member Ganesh Uike, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Odisha’s Kandhamal district on Thursday.

Uike, a CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member and the chief of the banned outfit in Odisha, carried a bounty of ₹1.1 crore on his head, a senior officer heading anti-Naxal operations in the state said.

The gun battle took place in a forest area under Chakapad police station, along the Kandhamal region. “Six Maoists were killed in the exchange of fire. One of them has been identified as 69-year-old Ganesh Uike,” the officer said.

Uike was known by several aliases, including Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari, Chamru, and Rupa. He was a native of Pullemala village under Chandur mandal in Telangana’s Nalgonda district. The identities of the remaining Maoists, including two women cadres, are yet to be ascertained.

Security officials said Ganesh Uike was part of the Maoist central leadership and was involved in planning and coordinating armed activities across multiple zones. He played a key role in overseeing Maoist organisational operations across Odisha, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

According to police, Uike was instrumental in strengthening the Maoist network, including facilitating fresh recruitment into the armed wing of the outfit. He was allegedly linked to multiple incidents of violence across the three states and had managed to evade security forces for a prolonged period, making him a high-value target in counter-insurgency operations.

Security agencies described the operation as a significant success against the top command structure of the Maoists.

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