Chhattisgarh: Bird hunter, 2 Maoists injured in encounter
On Wednesday night, August 14, 2025, 21-year-old Abhay Netam was shot after getting caught in the crossfire during a gunfight between Maoists and security forces in Chhattisgarh's Kondagaon district.
Netam and his friends were just bird hunting with an airgun in the Nelajhar jungle when they got caught up in the chaos of a sudden encounter that followed police intel about Maoist activity.
Netam was hit while trying to hide
As Maoists ambushed security forces near Kohkameta village, bullets started flying. Netam was hit while trying to hide, leaving him seriously injured.
Security teams rushed him to the hospital, where he had emergency surgery for a fractured pelvic bone but is now stable.
Even though Kondagaon was declared Naxal-free earlier this year, this incident is a reminder that tensions still run deep in some areas.
Police are continuing their investigation into the encounter and ongoing insurgent activity.