225 maoists surrendered, 45 held & 46 killed: CRPF

As many as 225 Maoists surrendered in March while 45 were arrested and another 46 killed in encounters with security forces during the month, showed the CRPF data. The largest casualties were reported in Chhattisgarh, followed by Jharkhand. A total of 96 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered during the month.

IEDs have been the biggest threat to security forces and have been commonly used by left-wing extremists (LWE). Two IEDs weighed 10 kilograms each.

The CPI (Maoist) was formed in 2004 with the merger of People’s War, then operating in Andhra Pradesh, and the Maoist Communist Centre of India, which had a presence in Bihar and adjoining areas. The CRPF, which is deployed along with state police and agencies, has been at the forefront of anti-Maoist operations, which are confined to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana. Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh have been taken out of the list of Maoist-affected states.

After last week’s review by the Union home ministry, the number of affected districts has been reduced to 18 from 38, with Union home minister Amit Shah setting a target of March 31, 2026, to end the menace. Among these, the number of ‘most affected districts’ has been halved to six, including four districts from Chhattisgarh (Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur and Sukma) and one each from Jharkhand (West Singhbhum) and Maharashtra (Gadchiroli).