Amit Shah Felicitates Odisha Police Officers for Making State Naxal-Free

Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday felicitated senior officers of the Odisha Police for their exceptional contribution in successfully making the state Naxal-free on March 31, 2026. The felicitation ceremony was held at the Badal Academy Ground in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh.

Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania and ADG (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sanjeeb Panda received mementos from Amit Shah on behalf of the entire Odisha Police force.

Several other officers were also honoured for their significant role in anti-Naxal operations, including IG (Operations) Deepak Kumar, DIG (SWR) Akhileshvar Singh, Kandhamal SP Harisha B C, DSP Santosh Sahu and DSP Sudesh Kumar Bal.

Odisha Police, in close coordination with Central Armed Police Forces including the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal, achieved a major milestone by eliminating the long-standing Maoist threat from the state. Between 2025 and 2026, security forces neutralised 156 Maoist cadres through encounters, arrests and surrenders.

Among them, 78 cadres, including several senior Maoist leaders, surrendered in Odisha. During joint operations, security personnel eliminated 10 Maoists in Odisha and 17 in Chhattisgarh, including top Central Committee members Chalapathi and Ganesh Uike.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjeeb Panda stated that the Maoist network has completely collapsed in Odisha and no fresh recruitment is taking place. He added that specialised units such as the Special Operation Group (SOG), District Voluntary Force, CRPF and BSF would continue deployment for at least two more years to prevent any possible resurgence.

According to police sources, the remaining eight to nine Maoist foot soldiers who had been hiding in the forests of Kandhamal after Odisha was declared Naxal-free are suspected to have fled to Kerala in search of jobs. Odisha Police have reportedly shared their details and photographs with Kerala Police and alerted railway police as a precautionary measure.

Despite the development, combing operations and intelligence gathering continue in the Kandhamal forests, with retrieval of looted arms remaining a key priority for the force.

The Union Home Minister praised the determination, coordination and dedication of Odisha Police during the event, which was also attended by officers from other erstwhile Naxal-affected states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar.