New Delhi, March 30 -- Sundarraj Pattilingam, a 2003-batch IPS officer who has served as Bastar IG for nearly seven years and led anti-Maoist operations, spoke to HT two days before the government's March 31 deadline to eliminate Naxalism. He discussed the decimation of the Maoists' military wing, the remaining presence in forests, retraining of special forces for policing, the mystery of former leader Ganpat, and renewed operations. Edited excerpts.

The Central Guerrilla Headquarters of the CPI(Maoist) was in Bastar for over four decades. What is the situation on the ground today?

The last senior leader was Pappa Rao, and he too has now joined the mainstream. Only a handful of cadre remain, scattered and hiding without leadership or su...