Speaking at a press conference in Vijayawada, ADGP (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha said three of those killed in an encounter on Wednesday were women
During searches, police recovered 39 firearms, 302 rounds of ammunition, detonators, cordtex wires, communication devices, and Rs 13 lakh in cash from multiple locations. Pic/PTI
A day after six Maoists were killed at Maredumilli in Andhra Pradesh, seven more were killed in a separate exchange of fire in the same area on Wednesday, police said, reported the PTI.
Speaking at a press conference in Vijayawada, ADGP (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha said three of those killed on Wednesday were women.
“In continuation with Tuesday's operation, seven Maoists have died until now. Today's encounter took place about 7 km from the previous site,” he said, according to the PTI.
The seven Maoists were reportedly killed around 7 am at Maredumilli in Alluri Sitaramaraju district. Identification of the deceased is ongoing, but one of them has been identified as Meturi Jokha Rao, alias Tech Shankar, a native of Srikakulam. Shankar, who had been part of the Maoist movement for around 20 years, was in charge of the Andhra-Odisha Border and specialised in technical operations including arms manufacturing and communications.
Police noted that Shankar had likely moved to Andhra Pradesh to revive Maoist activities in the southern region.
On Tuesday, six Maoists, including top naxalite commander Madvi Hidma, were killed in an encounter at Maredumilli mandal.
Chhattisgarh Police described Hidma's death as the “final nail in the coffin” of the insurgency.
Hidma had led the Maoists’ People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, the strongest military unit of the outfit in Dandakaranya, which covers parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Bastar, and had orchestrated several attacks over the past two decades, the news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Police arrested 50 CPI (Maoist) cadres across five districts in a coordinated, intelligence-led operation, officials said on Wednesday, as per the PTI.
Laddha said, “Following Hidma’s killing, we launched a synchronised intelligence-driven operation across five districts and apprehended 50 Maoist cadres.”
The arrested cadres held different ranks within the Maoist organisation, including special zonal committee members, divisional committee members, area committee members, and regular party operatives active across the south Bastar-Dandakaranya region.
“This is one of the most extensive operations conducted in recent years,” Laddha said, noting the operation covered Krishna, Eluru, NTR, Kakinada, and Konaseema districts, including Vijayawada city, and was executed quietly and efficiently, according to the PTI.
Personnel from the State Intelligence Department, Special Investigation Branch (SIB), district police units, and Vijayawada Commissionerate participated in the crackdown. Many cadres had fled Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, and West Bastar districts in Chhattisgarh due to continuous security pressure and were subsequently arrested in Andhra Pradesh.
During searches, police recovered 39 firearms, 302 rounds of ammunition, detonators, cordtex wires, communication devices, and Rs 13 lakh in cash from multiple locations.
Laddha highlighted that three special zonal committee members and several divisional committee members were among those arrested, signalling a significant leadership disruption within the Maoist hierarchy. He added that the operation prevented attempts at reorganisation and dealt a severe blow to Maoist networks operating between Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
SIB chief PHD Ramakrishna said the operation was conducted with “silent precision, ensuring no cadre escaped and no civilians were harmed,” the news agency reported.
Following the crackdown, Mallojula Venugopal Rao, alias Bhupathi, a surrendered leader of the banned CPI (Maoist), has once again appealed to active cadres to abandon armed struggle and join the mainstream.
The appeal came a day after top Naxalite commander M. Hidma was killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh. Bhupathi, who surrendered on 15 October along with 60 cadres, made the statement in a video released by Gadchiroli Police.
“We have been receiving news of encounters in recent days,” Bhupathi said, referring to the deaths of Hidma and five others on Tuesday.
“This is a matter of grave concern. We abandoned armed struggle about one and a half months ago because we realised that the changing situation does not allow us to continue with it. We are now working to resolve the people’s issues within the framework of the Constitution,” he added.
Highlighting the heavy losses suffered by the Naxalite movement, Bhupathi urged cadres to reconsider their path. “Rather than fighting with arms, we should leave armed struggle behind and join the mainstream, working alongside the people,” he said.
He emphasised that he had made similar appeals previously and urged cadres not to ignore this message. “You should join the mainstream and work with the common people according to the Constitution of India,” Bhupathi said, sharing his phone number for further contact.
(with PTI inputs)
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