Top Maoist leader Ganesh Uike was among four red rebels killed in a gun-battle with security forces in Odisha's Kandhamal district on Thursday, according
to the police. CPI(Maoist) central committee member Uike, who carried a bounty of Rs 1.1 crore on his head, was the chief of the banned outfit in Odisha, according to a senior officer heading anti-Naxal operations. The gun-battle took place in a forest in Chakapad police station area, he said. "Four Maoists were killed in the gunfight. One of them was identified as 69-year-old Ganesh Uike, who is also known by his aliases Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari, Chamru and Rupa. He was a native of Pullemala village under Chendur mandal in Telangana's Nalgonda district," a senior officer was quoted as saying by PTI. The identity of the other three Naxals, including two women, was yet to be ascertained. "Based on intelligence received from the Special Intelligence Wing, a joint operation involving 23 teams (20 SOG, 2 CRPF, 1 BSF) was launched in the Chakapad police station area of Kandhamal district and the Rambha forest range in the bordering areas of Ganjam district," the Odisha Police said in a statement. "Several exchanges of fire took place today. Following a search of the area, the bodies of four Maoists in uniform (two men and two women) were recovered, along with two INSAS rifles and one .303 rifle," the statement added. "One of the deceased Maoists has been identified as Ganesh Uike, a Central Committee member and the head of the Naxalite organisation in Odisha. The identities of the remaining three are yet to be confirmed. Ganesh was carrying a reward of Rs 1.1 crore on his head," it added. Preliminary identification revealed that one of the deceased was Bari alias Rakesh, an Area Committee Member of Rayagada under the Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagavali (BGN) division and a resident of Sukma. The other was Amrit, who was with the supply Dalam and a resident of Bijapur. However, the identities are yet to be confirmed officially.
