In a significant development in the ongoing anti-Maoist operations, top Maoist leader and Central Committee Member (CCM) Gautam alias Sudhakar was killed in an encounter with security forces in the forests of Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, on June 5, 2025.
This encounter marks another major blow to the Maoist leadership, coming just two weeks after the elimination of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju, in the Bastar region.
Sudhakar, aged 67 and originally from Andhra Pradesh, was one of the most wanted Maoist leaders, carrying a reward of ₹40 lakh in Chhattisgarh alone, with reports suggesting the bounty could be even higher as other states compile their records.
He was known for his role as the in-charge of the Maoist ideological training school, RePOS (Revolutionary Political School), and was a key figure in the radicalisation and recruitment of youth, as well as the mastermind behind several violent attacks resulting in the deaths of both civilians and security personnel. Sudhakar had operated largely from the Abujhmad region of Bastar for the past 17 years, managing high-level strategic communications and ideological indoctrination within the party.
The operation that led to Sudhakar's death was based on specific intelligence inputs indicating the presence of several senior Maoist leaders, including Telangana State Committee member Bandi Prakash and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member Pappa Rao, in the Indravati National Park area.
A joint team comprising the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and CoBRA commandos launched the operation, resulting in a fierce exchange of fire. After the encounter, security forces recovered Sudhakar's body, an AK-47 rifle, and a large cache of explosives, arms, and ammunition.
Sudhakar’s elimination is being hailed by security officials as a major success and is expected to further weaken the already crumbling Maoist network in the Dandakaranya region and beyond. Bastar police have highlighted that in 2025 alone, 186 Maoist cadres have been neutralised in the Bastar Range, and over 403 Maoists have been killed in the region since 2024. Officials believe that Sudhakar’s death will disrupt the Maoist organisation’s internal structure and morale, as he was not only a senior commander but also the ideological mentor for new recruits.
The ongoing crackdown, which has seen the elimination of three Central Committee members this year—including Jai Ram alias Chalapathy, Basavaraju, and now Sudhakar—signals a significant setback for the outlawed CPI (Maoist), both operationally and psychologically. Security forces and government officials have described this as a defining moment in the fight against Naxalism, with renewed confidence that the movement is nearing collapse in central India.
Agencies