Who Was Ganesh Uikey? Most Wanted Maoist Leader With Rs. 1 Crore On His Head Shot Dead In Odisha

A top Maoist commander with a bounty of Rs 1.1 crore on his head is dead after a joint anti-Naxal operation in Odisha. Officials called it a big blow to the outlawed group.

Ganesh Uikey, a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and the group’s leader in Odisha, was killed in a gunfight in the Rampa forest, right along the border of Ganjam and Kandhamal districts.

Ganesh Uikey was shot dead

The Odisha Special Operations Group teamed up with the Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force for the operation.

Security forces found the bodies of four Maoists at the scene, two of them women. Odisha Police Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Akhileshwar Singh kept a close eye on the whole thing.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said six Naxalites, including Uikey, have been “neutralised so far” in the ongoing operation in the Kandhamal forests. He called it a huge breakthrough.

“In a major operation in Kandhamal, Odisha, 6 Naxalites, including Central Committee Member Ganesh Uike, have been neutralised so far,” Shah posted on X.

“With this major breakthrough, Odisha stands at the threshold of becoming completely free from Naxalism. We are resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026.”

Police described Uikey as a tough, senior leader. He spent more than ten years working in the Odisha-Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra corridor, leading armed squads, recruiting new members, and moving cadres through thick forests.

Security forces are still combing the area to make sure no other insurgents are hiding out.

Who was Ganesh Uikey? 

Ganesh Uikey spent decades as one of the top leaders in the Communist Party of India (Maoist). At about 69 years old, he sat on the party’s central committee, the core group that called the shots—and led their operations in Odisha.

He grew up in Telangana’s Nalgonda district. Uikey got involved with the Maoist movement early on and worked his way up, thanks to his sharp organisational skills and the way he shaped the group’s ideology.

Over time, he went by different names, Pakka Hanumantu, Rajesh Tiwari, and Rupa. It’s a common move among senior insurgents, mostly to stay a step ahead of security forces.

Uikey didn’t just plan strategy; he handled recruitment and kept the Maoist network running smoothly across Odisha and nearby areas. He helped build up their armed squads, set up supply routes, and forged connections in the forests and tribal regions.

For security agencies, he was always a priority target. His experience, leadership, and knack for rallying struggling Maoist units kept him high on their radar.

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