Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh police claim upper hand as Maoist commander surrenders
Reported by AI Image generated by AI
Two major encounters in Chhattisgarh killed 14 Maoists, while top commander Barsa Deva surrendered in Telangana, prompting state police to claim the upper hand against Naxalism. Additional DGP Vivekanand Sinha stated that the Naxal problem will end before the March 2026 deadline. Telangana police view the surrender as crippling the Maoist military wing.
The Chhattisgarh assembly has passed the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, imposing severe penalties for conversions through force, inducement or fraud. The bill replaces a 1968 law and provides for life imprisonment in cases of mass conversions. Opposition Congress objected and boycotted proceedings.
Reported by AI
Three workers died and a fourth fell unconscious from toxic gases while cleaning a septic tank at Ram Krishna Care Hospital in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The incident on March 17, 2026, has sparked outrage over sanitation workers' safety. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai directed strict action against those responsible.
Madvi Hidma, a top Maoist leader and Central Committee member, was killed on November 18, 2025, in an encounter with Andhra Pradesh police in the Maredumilli forest. His wife and four others also died in the operation. The killing marks a significant blow to the CPI(Maoist), amid ongoing surrenders and internal divisions.