Top Maoist leader Basavaraju killed as India cracks down on rebels

Twenty-seven rebels are reported to have been killed in a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh.

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Nambala Keshava Rao, who is also known by several alias, including Basavaraju, was among 27 rebels killed on Wednesday, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said. One police officer was also reported to have died in the fighting.

According to Shah, it is the first time in three decades that a Maoist of Rao's seniority had been killed by government forces.

Parts of Chhattisgarh have seen a long-running insurgency by the rebels, who say they have been neglected by governments for decades. The Indian government has vowed to end their insurgency by the end of March 2026.

Rao, an engineer by training, was the general secretary of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) group. He was on the most wanted list of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) - India's counter-terrorism law enforcement body.