SAA event in Odisha, Kandhamal District area, India on Thu 25th December 2025

Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) ‘commander’ and ‘Central Committee Member (CCM)’ Ganesh Uike alias Rupa alias Rajesh Tiwarialias Chamualias Pakka Hanumantu (69), who was carrying an INR 11 million bounty on his head was among four Maoists killed in an encounter with Security Forces (SFs) in Kandhamal District early on December 25, reports The Times of India. Ganesh was the Odisha in-charge of the outlawed organisation. He took the mantle of the banned outfit’s operations in Odisha in October following the killing of the previous state in-charge Modem Balakrishna (63) in Chhattisgarh's Gariabandh district on September 11 this year. Ganesh carried bounties of Rs 40 lakh in Chhattisgarh and Rs 25 lakh each in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. According to Additional Director General (ADG), anti-Naxal operations, Sanjeeb Panda, the Kandhamal encounter was launched in a forest under Chakapada Police limits near the Rambha range of Ganjam District, based on credible intelligence inputs from the Odisha Special Intelligence Wing (SIW). Superintendent of Police (SP), Kandhamal, Harish B C said that security personnel recovered the bodies of four Maoists—two men and two women—in uniform, along with two INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) assault rifles and one .303 rifle. Ganesh apart, the other three slain Naxals were identified as Rajni, Seema and Umesh, all CPI-Maoist party members, carrying INR 165,000 reward each. Ganesh was associated with the CPI-Maoist activities in the state for the last year. He visited Kandhamal about 10 days ago to strengthen the organisation's base.