Chhattisgarh police have confirmed that the death toll from the fierce Nendur-Thulthuli encounter has risen to 38, dealing a crushing blow to Maoist cadres in the region. Following the operation, the Bastar Range Police issued a five-page communique listing the names, ranks, addresses, and bounties of the slain insurgents, accompanied by their photographs, to underscore the success of the operation. The total bounty on all 38 Maoists amounted to Rs 2.62 crore. This significant uptick in fatalities comes after Maoist sources, in a rare communique, admitted the deaths of seven additional insurgents, raising the toll from the previously reported 31. The joint operation on October 4 by the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and police teams from Dantewada and Narayanpur marks one of the most successful strikes against Maoist forces in recent memory.

 

The encounter targeted key leaders of CPI(M)’s Eastern Bastar and Abujhmad divisions, leaving their core leadership in disarray. Among the dead are some of the most wanted Maoist operatives, including Niti, alias Urmila, a Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee leader with a bounty of Rs 25 lakh, and Nandu Mandavi, commander of Company 6, carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh. With this operation, the security forces have sent a clear and unequivocal message: Maoist strongholds in Bastar are rapidly eroding under the relentless pressure of the state’s anti-insurgency operations. The identification of all 38 dead, including high-ranking commanders, marks a significant victory for the forces on the ground. According to Bastar IG Sundarraj P, the entire leadership structure of the PLGA’s Company 6 has been obliterated, leaving a void in the Maoists’ operational capabilities in Eastern Bastar. The strike also saw the elimination of Suresh Salam, alias Janku, a divisional committee member with a Rs 8 lakh bounty, and Meena Netam, another key figure within the Maoist ranks.

 

The encounter has severely disrupted Maoist operations, further evidenced by the recovery of a large cache of weapons, explosives, and critical communication equipment. Security forces remain on high alert, pursuing several injured Maoists believed to be hiding in the dense Abujhmad forests. Dantewada SP Gaurav Rai and Narayanpur SP Prabhat Kumar confirmed that 29 of the bodies have already been handed over to their families, while the search for survivors and injured operatives continues. The police remain confident that the offensive will further weaken the Maoists, who are now losing both territory and manpower in the face of sustained strikes. “This latest operation is not only a tactical triumph but also a strategic statement of our commitment to eradicating left-wing extremism from Chhattisgarh. As Maoists continue to lose ground, we will ensure development and security reach areas that were once dominated by insurgents,” said SP Dantewada Gaurav Rai.