Top Maoist leader Sudhakar, carrying bounty of Rs 50 lakh, killed in Chhattisgarh encounter

Representative image (Image source: X)

A top Maoist leader, who was carrying a reward of Rs 50 lakh on his head, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Bastar’s Indravati Tiger Reserve, Bijapur, in Chhattisgarh on Thursday.

Nar Singhachalam, alias Sudhakar, was one of the most-wanted Maoist leaders, operating across states like Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra. As per a report by NDTV, automatic weapons have been recovered from the site. Joint forces are continuing the operation.

Sudhakar’s killing comes after another top Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju, was killed in an intense encounter in the Abujhmad forests of Chhattisgarh last month.

Many other Maoists have surrendered. Late last month, 24 Maoists, including 14 with a combined bounty of Rs 28.50 lakh on their heads, had surrendered in the Bijapur district.

"After completion of Operation Black Forest, 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. The Modi government is resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026," Union Home Minister Amit Shah quoted by NDTV.