Top Maoist Leader Ganesh Uike, Rs 1.1 Cr Bounty, Killed in Odisha Operation

• Top Maoist leader Ganesh Uike, a CPI (Maoist) Central Committee member with a Rs 1.1 crore bounty, was among six Naxalites killed in Odisha's Kandhamal district.
• Uike, 69, also known by aliases like Pakka Hanumantu, led Maoist operations in Odisha and was a native of Nalgonda district, Telangana.
• This marks the first time a Maoist commander of Central Committee rank has been gunned down by security forces in Odisha recently.
• The joint operation by SOG, CRPF, and BSF teams, based on Special Intelligence Wing (SIW) inputs, led to multiple exchanges of fire on December 25, 2025.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CM Mohan Charan Majhi hailed it as a major breakthrough, aiming to eliminate Naxalism by March 2026, with Devuji now the only top leader left.

Why It Matters: Major operation kills top Maoist Ganesh Uike, bringing Odisha closer to Naxal-free status by March 2026.