Modem Balakrishna encounter: Top Maoist leader killed in Chhattisgarh linked to Andhra minister, DIG murders

The slain rebel, Modem Balkrishna, also known as Manoj, Bhaskar, and several other aliases, was a Central Committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist).

A top Maoist leader accused of reportedly masterminding two of the most high-profile assassinations in Andhra Pradesh, the murders of former Home Minister Alimineti Madhava Reddy and DIG KS Vyas, was among 10 ultras gunned down by security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district on Thursday.

The slain rebel, Modem Balkrishna, also known as Manoj, Bhaskar, and several other aliases, was a Central Committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist).

According to the police, he carried a bounty of several crores and had 18 criminal cases registered against him, including his role in the brutal murders of Reddy and Vyas.

Murder of Madhava Reddy (2000)

Reddy, Andhra Pradesh’s Home Minister, was killed in a powerful IED blast on March 7, 2000, in Nalgonda district. According to police, the Maoists had targeted him in retaliation for the strong crackdown on the insurgency that he had ordered. His assassination had sent shockwaves in the state and was seen as one of the boldest strikes carried out by the outfit at the time.

Killing of DIG Vyas (1993)

DIG K S Vyas, a celebrated police officer credited with establishing the elite Greyhounds anti-Maoist force, was gunned down while jogging at Hyderabad’s Lal Bahadur Stadium in January 1993. According to authorities, Maoist operatives had reportedly stalked him for days before the attack, which was personally overseen by leaders like Balkrishna. Vyas’ killing had dealt a severe blow to the state police, even as his Greyhounds unit went on to play a decisive role in counterinsurgency.

Balkrishna was among 10 Maoists killed in Thursday’s encounter on the Rajadera-Matal hills, near the Odisha border. The joint operation involved the Special Task Force (STF), CoBRA commandos of the CRPF, Chhattisgarh Police, ITBP and BSF.

Police said two other senior figures -- Pramod alias Pandu and Vimal alias Manganna, both Odisha State Committee members -- have also been neutralised. The forces recovered 10 weapons, including AK-47s, SLRs and INSAS rifles, from the site.

Officials believe the loss of Balkrishna, who had been underground since 1999 and was regarded as a key strategist, would have ripple effects across the Maoist network in central India.

On the same day, 16 Maoists surrendered in Narayanpur district, citing disillusionment with the group’s ideology and growing internal rifts. They belonged to units like the Janatana Sarkar and Chetna Natya Mandli.

The operation comes amid the Centre’s renewed push to stamp out left-wing extremism, with Home Minister Amit Shah setting March 2026 as the deadline to end the insurgency.