Raipur: There will be no respite for Maoists even during the monsoon season, Union home minister Amit Shah said in Chhattisgarh on Sunday after his meeting with top police officials of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-hit states.
Maoists normally get a respite during the rains when operations are called off by security forces. Shah, however, said that counter-insurgency operations will continue during the monsoon months this year in a move towards eradicating LWE from the country by March 31, 2026.
The home minister, in his address, after laying the foundation stones for the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) campus and a Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, ruled out any talks with Maoists and urged them to surrender and join the national mainstream.
“This time, we will not let Maoists rest during the monsoon. We are moving forward towards our target of eliminating Maoist by March 31, 2026,” Shah said.
He said that over 400 Maoists have been killed since January last year in Chhattisgarh alone, including Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, general secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist). He appealed to Maoists to lay down arms and join the mainstream.
“There is no need for dialogue. Lay down your arms and join the path of development. Those who have surrendered will get all promised support from the Centre and the state government,” the minister said.
Shah also spoke on how the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam would make India’s legal system faster, more scientific, and evidence-based.
“Every FIR, from any corner of India, will ensure justice within three years – up to the Supreme Court level. The era of justice based on emotions and imagination is over; evidence-based justice is the future,” he said.
Forensic teams will now be mandatorily involved in all crimes attracting sentences of more than seven years, he said.
The NFSU campus in Nava Raipur, to be developed at a cost of ₹145 crore, and the CFSL worth ₹123 crore, are expected to be completed within three years. Shah said the forensic education sector is booming globally, and India’s youth should seize the opportunity.
“The global forensic technology market is projected to grow from US$ 20 billion to 55 billion dollars by 2036. India’s share could be around 9 percent. With 32,000 forensic experts graduating each year, we will be self-reliant,” he noted.
Currently, Chhattisgarh has four regional forensic labs in Ambikapur, Bilaspur, Durg, and Jagdalpur. The addition of a central lab in Nava Raipur will eliminate the need to send samples to Delhi.
