March 31, 2025: A top woman Maoist leader, Renuka alias Banu, was killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Monday. The encounter, which began at 9 am, was part of an ongoing anti-Maoist operation in the region.

Banu, who carried a reward of Rs 25 Lakh, was a key member of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), a Maoist group. She was in charge of the group’s media team and hailed from Telangana’s Warangal district.

The operation was led by a team of security forces under the District Reserve Guard (DRG), assisted by police personnel from various stations and villages.

The forces recovered Banu’s body, along with an INSAS rifle, other arms and ammunition, and daily-use items from the encounter site.

This encounter is a significant blow to the Maoist movement in the region. So far, in 2025, 119 Naxalites have been killed in various encounters in the Baster range. The security forces efforts are part of a larger campaign to eradicate Naxalism by March 31, 2026, as announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah