Raipur/Kandhamal, Dec. 25 -- The security forces on Thursday neutralised Ganesh Uike, one of the most wanted Maoist leaders and a central committee member, during an encounter in the dense Gumma forest area of Odisha's Kandhamal district, marking a decisive phase in a major anti-Maoist operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border.
The encounter took place in the Chakapada and Belghar police station limits, where joint teams of the Odisha Police's Special Operations Group (SOG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) were conducting a coordinated operation based on specific intelligence inputs. Officials said the exchange of fire began around 9 am, resulting in the death of Uike, who carried a bounty of over R...