Chhattisgarh Maoist Mahesh Korsa, Responsible For Over 77 Security Personnel Deaths, Neutralised In Sukma

Mahesh Korsa, a 36-year-old Maoist expert in improvised explosive devices (IEDs), was killed in an encounter last week in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.

According to the police, Korsa's name had become “a synonym for violent activities” of the Maoists, particularly in the Jagargunda region, where he was involved in numerous attacks against security forces.

Korsa, a deputy platoon commander in the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), played a pivotal role in several deadly encounters. 

His violent legacy includes involvement in attacks that resulted in the deaths of 25 security personnel in 2017, 17 in 2020, and 22 in 2021. 

He was part of the group that killed two CoBRA jawans in June 2023 by planting an IED between two police camps. 

In November, he led an attack on two policemen at a weekly market, looting their firearms.

He joined the Naxal movement in 2010 and quickly became notorious for his IED planting skills.

In March 2017, he received specialised training in IEDs, which he used to terrorise the Bastar region for nearly eight years. 

His expertise was passed on to other Maoists, including his wife Hemla, a “doctor” in the banned CPI Maoist organisation. 

Korsa's violent actions were not limited to IED attacks but included ambushes and armed assaults, making him one of the most dangerous members of the Maoist outfit.

Korsa's name first appeared in police records following a 2015 encounter that left seven Special Task Force (STF) jawans dead. 

He continued to evade capture despite numerous attempts by security forces. In 2023, he was involved in an attack on three jawans on Singram Road. 

His ability to escape security forces’ encirclements and his strategic knowledge of the terrain made him a formidable adversary.

Finally, on 8 January, a joint operation by the District Reserve Guard (DRG), STF, and the elite CoBRA unit led to his neutralisation in a fierce encounter between Paliguda and Gundraj Gudem villages. 

His death is seen as a significant blow to the Maoist insurgency in the region.