In a significant victory for anti-Naxal operations, security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district have neutralized a top Naxal leader, Bhaskar, also known as Mailarapu Adellu, carrying a cumulative bounty of ₹45 lakh. The encounter took place in the Indravati National Park area during an ongoing anti-Naxal operation.

According to Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range Sundarraj, the forces recovered Bhaskar's body along with an AK-47 rifle, explosives, weapons, and ammunition after the exchange of fire. Bhaskar was a Special Zonal Committee (SZC) member of the Telangana State Committee (TSC) of the outlawed Maoists and a resident of Adilabad district in Telangana. He also served as the secretary of the Mancherial-Komarambheem (MKB) division of the TSC. He carried a reward of ₹25 lakhs in Chhattisgarh and 20 lakhs in Telangana.

This operation was conducted by a joint team of the state police's Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG), along with the CRPF's specialized unit CoBRA.

This success comes on the heels of another major achievement just a day prior, the death of senior Maoist leader Gautam alias Sudhakar, a Central Committee Member (CCM), who was killed in a similar encounter in Bijapur district. Sudhakar carried a bounty of ₹40 lakh. Security forces also recovered an AK-47 rifle and a substantial amount of explosive materials, arms, and ammunition from that encounter site.

Furthermore, these recent victories follow the neutralisation of CPI (Maoist) General Secretary, Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, by security forces in the Bastar region in May 2025.

IG P Sundarraj stated that Gautam was responsible for numerous violent incidents, resulting in the deaths of innocent tribal civilians and security personnel. He was also in charge of the Maoist ideological training school (RePOS), where he allegedly misled and radicalized youth with violent and anti-national ideologies.

These operations underscore the intensifying crackdown on Naxal activities in the region. According to officials, 186 Maoist cadres have been killed in counter-insurgency operations across the Bastar Range in 2025. Over the period of 2024-2025, more than 403 Maoist cadres have been neutralized, and their bodies recovered in the Bastar Range after multiple encounters.

The recent successes achieved by security forces are expected to significantly weaken the Maoist organization, particularly in the Dandakaranya region.