Polampalli (Chattisgarh): Security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Sunday, March 29, 2026, neutralized a high-ranking Naxalite carrying a bounty of ₹5 lakh. The encounter took place on a forested hill within the Polampalli police station limits during an anti-Maoist operation conducted by the District Reserve Guard (DRG). The deceased, identified as Muchaki Kailash, served as the section commander of Platoon No. 31. Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan confirmed that a weapon was recovered from the site and noted that Kailash had a long history of involvement in civilian killings and IED attacks on security personnel.
This operation is strategically significant as it comes just 48 hours before the March 31, 2026, deadline set by the Union Government to completely eliminate Left Wing Extremism (LWE) from India. Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) P. Sundarraj emphasized that the window for Maoist cadres to surrender and seek rehabilitation under the state’s “final stage” policy is rapidly closing. He issued a final appeal to active insurgents to renounce violence and return to the mainstream, warning that the security apparatus is now in a decisive phase of its “zero-tolerance” campaign.
The neutralization of Kailash brings the total number of Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh encounters to 27 so far this year. This follows a high-intensity 2025 campaign where security forces killed 285 insurgents across the state. As the national deadline approaches, the Bastar region remains under heavy surveillance, with multiple DRG and paramilitary teams conducting coordinated search operations to secure the remaining forested pockets of Sukma and Bijapur.
