No operational fatality in 12 months for CRPF, first time in 47 years

The paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has not suffered a single operational fatality anywhere in the country over a year for the first time in 47 years. In 2025, eight out of nine CRPF personnel were killed in action in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-hit areas. One CRPF person died in field firing practice. In 2024, 12 deaths were reported from Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Manipur.

No fatalities since October 30, 2025, have coincided with the government’s announcement in Parliament about meeting the March 31 deadline for ending LWE. There is no longer any Maoist-hit district in the country. India had over 100 LWE-hit districts at the peak of Maoism in the mid-2000s.

CRPF chief GP Singh called a fatality-free year for the first time since the period ending January 1979 a significant milestone. In a post on X, he said 12 consecutive months have passed without any operational fatality. He credited the latest and contemporary hardware, better training and strategic planning, and focus on post-incident response, including high-speed evacuation of injured personnel to secondary and tertiary medical facilities, for contributing immensely to achieving this milestone.

Singh said it is especially significant since this has happened while the force continues to be deployed and engaged intensely in all the major operational theatres, achieving significant breakthrough results. “We remain committed to keep the country peaceful & safe for all its citizens.”

Inspector Kousal Kumar Mishra succumbed to his injuries in a blast during an area domination exercise in October 2025 in Jharkhand’s then Maoist-affected area, West Singhbhum. Head constable Mahendra Lashkar was killed in action on the same day in the same incident.

The CRPF is the largest central armed police force with a strength of over 300,000. Nearly 50,000 CRPF personnel were deployed in LWE-hit areas at the peak of Maoism, including 40,000 in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar, its nerve centre.

Zero casualties have mainly been attributed to the end of Maoist activity. In 2025, the eight CRPF personnel were killed in action in LWE areas of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. India was declared Maoist-free on March 30, 2026, after a crackdown, which led to record surrenders, gunfights and arrests.

The last Maoist Central Committee member, Misir Besra, was arrested on July 28 from Jharkhand, where the last two CRPF personnel were killed in action in October 2025.

Officials said the CRPF’s focus remains on ethnic violence in Manipur, where many battalions were moved from Bastar. The Union government is planning to send more CRPF personnel to Manipur amid worsening Naga-Kuki conflict.

A Manipur-based officer said the northeastern state has become the next big theatre for CRPF. “Maoist areas only need monitoring...in Manipur, there is a rising challenge. The last three CRPF personnel injured [in action] were...in Imphal, where they were hit by a bomb from militants. And against the backdrop of CRPF taking over a camp of the SoO [Suspension of Operations] group cadres, the challenge has only increased.”

He added that the CRPF is suddenly everywhere in Manipur, especially because it has also replaced the Assam Rifles at different places.