Maoist movement in Bastar reduced to last core: Fewer than 130 armed cadres left, five Naxal commanders elusive; Devji, Paparao cause of concern

RAIPUR: In Bastar’s forests, once known for large Maoist formations and parallel rebel administrations, the insurgency has shrunk to a thin, battered core. Security agencies now estimate that fewer than 130 armed Maoist cadres remain active, largely confined to south Bastar, supported by a loose ring of around 300 militia members, frontal organisation workers and local facilitators who officers describe as increasingly ineffective and leaderless.At the top of what is left of the organisation are just a handful of senior commanders, most of them in hiding and constantly shifting locations to evade security forces. With supply lines disrupted and field units scattered, officers say the Maoist movement is now operating in survival mode.Speaking to TOI, Bastar range inspector general of police Sundarraj Pattilingam said, "Security agencies are currently tracking four remaining leaders from the politburo and central committee and five from the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, who are believed to be moving across forest corridors spanning Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Telangana.

Among those wanted is Paparao, a special zonal committee member considered the most influential Maoist commander still operating in Chhattisgarh.

Sustained pressure has forced the leadership to fragment, weakening command and control across the region."As the March 31 deadline to eliminate left-wing extremism from the country approaches, IG Sundarraj said the campaign has entered a decisive phase. “What remains are small armed groups and a few leaders who are isolated and constantly on the run,” he said.

Most significant Maoist commanders include Thippari Tirupati alias Devji, the politburo member and in charge of central committee who mostly frequents in neighbouring Telangana and at times on Chhattisgarh borders, say intelligence inputs. While Jharkhand is security agencies are eyeing on politburo and CC members Misir Besra, and Anil Da alias Toofan, other CC members and commanders Murli alias Sangram, Ganapathy have been elusive, though Ganapathy who is above 80 years of age, has been in hibernation along with wife Sujata for years, Murli another octogenarian, has been active in forests.Of the Dandakaranya special zonal committee, Prabhakar is active in trijunction of Narayanpur-Kanker-Gadhchiroli while Paparao hiding somewhere in Bastar forests only, said the police officer. There are couple of other DVCMs whose whereabouts are unknown as they might have slipped out of the area and remain inactive. Police assessments indicate that the fighting core now consists largely of regular, uniformed cadres and mid-level commanders who still carry weapons and plan operations.

The larger outer ring — village militia members, couriers and frontal workers — may be numerically bigger, but has lost coherence and direction. “Without the armed core, the rest cannot function,” a senior officer said, adding that many such groups have already turned inactive.The erosion is reflected in surrender trends. In 2025, nearly 80% of Maoists who laid down arms belonged to this peripheral ecosystem rather than the trained armed wing, police said.

With communication lines disrupted and leadership thinning, officials believe more of these cadres will fade out in the coming months.The shrinking insurgent footprint has also weakened Maoists’ influence over civilian life. Security agencies point to improved people's participation in several interior pockets as an indicator that the authority of the Maoists’ parallel structures, often referred to as janatana sarkar, has sharply declined.Following the surrender of senior leader Deva Barse and a series of encounters that eliminated multiple top and mid-level commanders, the District Reserve Guard (DRG) has made Paparao its principal target. Active for decades in Bijapur’s forest belt, he is accused of masterminding several major attacks, including the Jan 6, 2025 IED blast on the Kutru–Bedre road that killed eight security personnel and a civilian driver.Police say Paparao has been offered opportunities to surrender but has repeatedly evaded operations, prompting the preparation of special, intelligence-driven plans to track him. With most senior Maoist leaders neutralised or out of the picture, police say the focus is now firmly on dismantling the last armed core. Security planners believe that once this layer — barely over 150 cadres — is eliminated or surrenders, the Maoist movement in Bastar will no longer be able to operate as an organised force.Wanted CC / Politburo members who also carry AK 47 rifleThippari Tirupati alias Devji, bounty Rs 1 croreGanapathy alias Mupalla Laxman, bounty Rs 1 croreMisir Besra alias Bhaskar, bounty Rs 1 croreAnil Da alias Toofan, bounty Rs 40 lakhSangram alias Murli, bounty Rs 40 lakh