'Dreaded' Maoist leader with bounty of Rs 1.5 crore shot dead in Chhattisgarh, details here...

A brilliant engineering student who could have joined the industry or corporate world for a fat pay package, he chose to take up arms against the system. Nambala Keshava Rao of Regional Engineering College, Warangal, decided to fight against the state and became what the police called him, a dreaded Maoist leader. Soon after joining the engineering college, Rao joined the leftist movement and contested elections under the banner of the Radical Students Union. This was the time when Warangal was under the influence of radical outfits. Almost forty years after he went underground in 1985, Rao, better known for his nom de guerre, Basava Raju, was killed in an encounter in Abujhmad forest of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.  

PM Narendra Modi praises security forces

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday praised the efforts of India's security forces after 27 Maoists, including top CPI-Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, were killed in a major operation in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, "Proud of our forces for this remarkable success. Our Government is committed to eliminating the menace of Maoism and ensuring a life of peace and progress for our people."

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

Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said this was a breakthrough and confirmed that security forces had neutralised 27 dreaded Maoists, including Basavaraju, who was the General Secretary of the CPI-Maoist.

Amit Shah: CPI (Maoist) General Secretary killed

In a post on X, he said this is the first time in three decades of India's battle against Naxalism that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralised by the security forces. Noting that Basavaraju was the backbone of the Naxal movement, Amit Shah said 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, after the completion of Operation Black Forest.
Amit Shah said the Modi government is resolved to eliminate Naxalism before March 31 next year.

"A landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism. Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralised 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, the topmost leader, and the backbone of the Naxal movement," he said in his X post.

Home Ministry applauds security forces

He added, "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. I applaud our brave security forces and agencies for this breakthrough. Also glad to share that after the 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 March 31. 2026." 

The encounter took place in the forest area of Abujhmad in Narayanpur. Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao also confirmed the development and said the forces are working hard to make Bastar Naxal-free by March 2026.

Will Baster be Naxal-free?

"After the formation of our government in the state, a programme is running to make Bastar Naxal-free. In Narayanpur, more than two dozen Naxalites have been killed in an encounter. Our security forces are working diligently so that by March 2026, Bastar becomes Naxal-free," Arun Sao said. He also said that one soldier was injured during the encounter. The joint operation, named 'Operation Black Forest', was launched by security forces near Karreguttalu Hill (KGH) at the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border to break the backbone of the Maoist movement.

(With inputs from ANI.)