Lower-rung cadres 'lured' Ganesh into trap set by police in Kandhamal forests

Bhubaneswar: Maoist commander Ganesh Uike, feared for orchestrating deadly ambushes against security forces, got a taste of his own medicine and met his end in a meticulously planned trap laid by Odisha police. The special intelligence wing (SIW) lured the elusive rebel into Kandhamal district, where he was killed along with three associates on Thursday.Ganesh, who frequently operated in Chhattisgarh, became vulnerable as intensified anti-Maoist drives in the neighbouring state forced him to seek refuge elsewhere. Odisha police exploited this desperation, setting the stage for “operation Ganesh”. The plan was initiated in Oct after Uike assumed charge of CPI (Maoist) Odisha state committee following the Sept encounter death of Modem Balakrishna in Chhattisgarh. The breakthrough came when some lower-rung Maoist cadres, preparing to surrender, revealed crucial details of Uike’s movements to police. They reportedly sent messages assuring him of a “safe atmosphere” in Kandhamal’s rugged forests, baiting him into the trap.Earlier this month, Ganesh arrived in Kandhamal with a handful of foot soldiers. Unaware of the deception, he settled in Chakapada forest area. Acting swiftly on intelligence inputs, commandos of the special operation group (SOG), supported by central forces, launched a coordinated strike, giving no scope to the Maoists to strike back. The encounter left four Maoists dead, including Ganesh. The other deceased were identified as women cadres Rajni and Seema and Umesh, all CPI (Maoist) members carrying rewards of Rs 1.65 lakh each. While there is no clarity on the number of Maoists who escaped, there was no injury nor casualty among police.In Feb, Ganesh convened a meeting in Kotagarh police station limits of Kandhamal district and planned to revive Maoist activities in regions once dominated by Sabyasachi Panda, former Odisha Maoist member arrested in July 2014.Ganesh, a Telangana native, was promoted to the rank of CC member in 2020 and worked in different areas of Chhattisgarh. In Odisha, his focus lay on the Kalahandi-Rayagada-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh axis.Police officers said the operation not only neutralised a top Maoist but also delivered a significant blow to the group’s Odisha network. Officers described the success as a morale booster for anti-Maoist forces, underscoring the importance of intelligence-driven operations. With Ganesh’s death, security agencies believe the Maoist presence in Odisha has been weakened, though sporadic threats remain.