Chhattisgarh: Gold bars with Swiss markings found at Maoist hideout

Gold bars weighing 7.2 kg and estimated to be valued at around ₹11.16 crore were recovered from a Maoist hideout busted in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur on March 31, officials said, calling it a significant seizure during the anti-insurgency operations.

Police said the recovery was made during a search operation in a forested area following specific intelligence inputs about the hideout. Surrendered Maoists told investigators that after Maoist Rupesh’s surrender, a substantial quantity of cash and gold was moved to Bijapur for insurgent commander Paparao. Police subsequently questioned more Maoists for nearly 10 days before busting the hideout.

Police said the authenticity, purity, and origin of the gold was being verified. “Prima facie, these appear to be gold bars, but only forensic and metallurgical examination will confirm their real composition and value,” an official said.

Inspector general (Bastar Range) Sunderraj Pattilingam referred to the Swiss markings on the bars and said they seem to be a deception by the jewellers from where the gold was procured. “The interesting thing is the Swiss marking. We are questioning other Maoist cadres about the origin of these bricks, and the investigation will continue,” he said. He added that the police are probing the case from all angles.

Police said the funds gathered through illegal levies on contractors and villagers were kept at the hideout. An intelligence officer said that more such hideouts are believed to be in the jungles, and locating them will take time. “Many Maoists surrendered without arms, hence many such hideouts are still there. There is still gold and money at such hideouts,” the officer said.

On March 11, around 1 kg of gold was recovered from another Maoist hideout in Bijapur. The intensified anti-Maoist operations have targeted infrastructure, including arms stores, supply chains, and financial networks of the insurgents.

Union home minister Amit Shah told Parliament on Monday that India is now Maoist-free. The statement came a day before the government’s deadline of March 31, 2026, to eradicate Left-wing extremism. Shah said 4,839 Maoists surrendered, 706 were killed, and 2,218 were arrested and jailed in the last three years. Bastar, Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, and Kanker districts were the epicentre of Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh for decades.