NEW DELHI: A woman Naxal was injured on Saturday when an improvised explosive device (IED) she was trying to plant went off in the forest of Bandepara, police said. The injured woman, identified as Gujja Sodhi, was found by locals in the morning and reported to the Madded police station. Preliminary reports suggest she and her associates were attempting to target security personnel when the device exploded. Her colleagues reportedly took her weapon, a 12-bore gun, and fled the scene.

Police arrived after villagers raised the alarm, administered first aid, and rushed Sodhi to the district hospital. Sodhi had been active in the Madded area committee of the banned Maoist group for six to seven years, working with local commander Kanna Bucchna, officials said. Authorities noted that the Maoist group often neglects injured or sick members, leaving them to suffer in the forests. “There is no humanity or empathy within the organisation,” a police official said.Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah, visiting Chhattisgarh on Saturday, said March 31, 2026, has been set as the deadline to eliminate the threat of Naxalism. Security forces have intensified anti-Naxalite operations across Chhattisgarh, killing over 450 Naxalites in encounters, mainly in the Bastar region, since January last year.