Gariaband (Chhattisgarh) [India], January 21 : In a major development, more than 14 Naxals were killed during a joint anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district, where the security forces were able to kill a member of the Naxalite Central Committee, Jairam alias Chalpati, who had a reward of one crore on his head, the Gariaband Superintendent of Police said on Monday.
According to the SP, Nikhil Rakhecha, the operation, which was started on Sunday, saw senior cadres of Maoists dead and a large quantity of weapons, including automatic weapons like SLR rifles, recovered.
The anti-Naxal search operation was a joint effort of Gariaband Operation Group E30, Cobra 207, CRPF 65 and 211 Battalion, and SOG Nuapada, that had left for the Kulhadighat area.
Detailed information of the operation will be released separately following the completion of the operation, SP Rakhecha added.

Chhattisgarh Dy CM Vijay Sharma said that the elimination of Jairam was a success for the security forces and many automatic weapons had been seized in the encounter.
"14 Naxalites have been killed in 2 days. The special thing is that Odisha cadre CC member Jairam has been killed in Chhattisgarh and the killing of a CC member is the first such incident in the history of Naxal operation till date. Overall, there must have been a reward of more than one crore rupees on his head. So the police has got a big success. Many automatic weapons have also been recovered in this... By March 2026, Naxalism will be completely eradicated not only from Chhattisgarh but from the whole of India," he said,
Speaking on the matter, Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Arun Sao reiterated Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement of making the nation Naxal-free by March 31, 2026 and extended his greetings to the security forces for their operation in Gariaband.
"Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that we will make the nation Naxal-free by 31st March 2026. Our security forces are also bravely working in this direction. They are succeeding constantly. I extend my greetings to the security forces for their achievement in Gariaband. Ending Naxalism is essential for the development of the state," Sao said.
Earlier, On January 12, five Naxalites including two women were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur. Several automatic and other weapons and explosives were recovered from the forests under the National Park area of the Bijapur district. The recovered weapons included one SLR rifle, one 12-bore rifle, two single-shot rifles, one BGL launcher, and one locally made Bharmar gun, along with explosives, Maoist literature, and other Naxal materials.