A Shocking Incident in the Land of Mowgli: In a significant anti-Maoist operation, two women Maoist operatives were shot dead by the Hawk Force of the Madhya Pradesh Police in an encounter at Kanha National Park, Mandla district, on April 2, 2025. Both militants had a bounty of ₹14 lakh each on their heads. The encounter took place during an early morning search operation in the Mundidadar-Ganeridadar-Parsatola forest region, known for Maoist activity.
Primary Details of the Encounter
Acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding the movement of an armed Maoist group, security forces launched a search operation in the dense forest. As the forces closed in, the Maoists opened fire, prompting a retaliatory attack. After an intense exchange of gunfire, two women operatives were neutralized, while other members of the group managed to escape. A self-loading rifle (SLR), a country-made rifle, a wireless set, and other Maoist-related materials were recovered from the encounter site.
The deceased were identified as Mamta alias Rama Bai, a resident of Murkudi in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra, and Pramila alias Mase Mandavi, hailing from Palli Gudem village, Sukma district, Chhattisgarh. Both were part of the Bhoramdev Area Committee under the Kanha-Bhoramdev Division, which operates within the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone of Maoist influence. Mamta’s husband, Rakesh Hodi, is reportedly the leader of this division, which includes a significant number of women militants.
Hawk Force Commandant’s Statement
Shiyaz K. M., Hawk Force Commandant for the Mandla-Balaghat region, stated that the security forces had been tracking the Maoist group's movements for nearly six months. Intelligence reports indicated the presence of 18-20 armed cadres in the area, leading to the operation. Multiple teams are currently combing the surrounding forest in search of the remaining Maoists who fled the scene.
This encounter marks the second major success for the Hawk Force in recent weeks. On February 19, 2025, four women Maoists belonging to the same group were gunned down during a similar operation in Balaghat district. With these latest casualties, a total of six Maoists has been killed in Madhya Pradesh in the last 45 days.
Chief Minister’s Urge Towards Eradicating Terrorism
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav commended the security forces for their decisive action. Taking to social media platform X, he reaffirmed the state’s commitment to eliminating Naxalism and terrorism from its territory. He expressed confidence that this operation would strengthen the national goal of completely eradicating the Maoist insurgency by March 2026, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Maoist insurgency has long plagued parts of Mandla and Balaghat districts, where dense forests provide a strategic hideout for militants. However, continued counter-insurgency efforts by the Madhya Pradesh Police and paramilitary forces have significantly weakened Maoist strongholds in recent years.
The encounter site, located within the Kanha National Park region, has been a known Maoist-affected area. While the park is primarily known for its rich wildlife and biodiversity, parts of its buffer zone have been used as hideouts by insurgents. Security forces remain on high alert, with ongoing search operations to ensure the complete elimination of Maoist presence in the region. This operation serves as a major breakthrough in the fight against left-wing extremism, reinforcing the government's commitment to restoring peace and security in Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring states.
