Two Maoists killed in police encounter in Kandhamal, one AK-47 recovered: Police

Police said an AK-47 assault rifle and a self-loading rifle were recovered from the encounter site, along with other incriminating materials

Published on: Feb 23, 2026, 16:26:10 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Two Communist Party of India (CPI) (Maoist) cadres carrying a combined bounty of ₹27.5 lakh were killed in a two-hour gunfight with Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police in Odisha’s Kandhamal district on Sunday.

Both Maoists hailed from Chhattisgarh, and together carried a combined bounty of ₹27.5 lakh. (Representative file photo)

Security forces are also conducting an extensive combing operation looking for state committee member Shukru alias Krishna, the lone Maoist from Odisha still active in the region.

Police said Jagyesh, an Area Committee Member of the CPI (Maoist)’s Kalahandi–Kandhamal–Boudh–Nayagarh (KKBN) division who carried a bounty of ₹22 lakh, and Ratna, a party member with a reward of ₹1.65 lakh on her head were killed in an encounter with the SOG on Kandhamal-Ganjam border.

“Acting on intelligence inputs, the SOG launched the operation at around 11am. On noticing the security personnel, the Maoists opened fire. The SOG retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted for about 2 hours. It appears there were at least seven Maoists in the group and two of them were killed,” said additional director general (DG) (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sanjeeb Panda.

Also Read:12 Maoist cadres with ₹46L bounty surrender in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district

Both Maoists hailed from Chhattisgarh, and together carried a combined bounty of ₹27.5 lakh. Their bodies were recovered and taken to Phulbani police headquarters.

Police said an AK-47 assault rifle and a self-loading rifle were recovered from the encounter site, along with other incriminating materials.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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