HYDERABAD: With the encounter killing of CPI (Maoist) central committee member Gajarla Ravi, the banned outfit has lost its last top-level operative deployed in Andhra Pradesh. Ravi, a native of Telangana, was heading the crucial Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) special zonal committee. His death marks the complete elimination of all central committee members either operating in or originally from Andhra this year.
A senior official said, "With Ravi gone, the central committee has no one left operating in Andhra. Andhra-origin members have also been wiped out."
Though not from Andhra, Ravi had been overseeing Maoist operations in the AOB region, keeping the Andhra structure active after the loss of native leaders. His elimination deals a strategic blow to the organisation's command and coordination in Andhra territory. With no central committee leader now stationed in the state, the Maoist presence has suffered a significant leadership vacuum.
While Andhra has been entirely wiped out from the top echelons, Telangana continues to dominate the central committee. Among the key Telangana leaders still active are Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu (Peddapalli), Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devji (Korutla), Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy alias Kosa, and Malla Raji Reddy alias Sangram (Peddapalli).
Sudhakar Reddy Udumula is the Editor (Investigation) at the Times...
Read MoreSudhakar Reddy Udumula is the Editor (Investigation) at the Times of India, Hyderabad. Following the trail of migration and drought across the rustic landscape of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sudhakar reported extensively on government apathy, divisive politics, systemic gender discrimination, agrarian crisis and the will to survive great odds. His curiosity for peeking behind the curtain triumphed over the criminal agenda of many scamsters in the highest political and corporate circles, making way for breaking stories such as Panama Papers Scam, Telgi Stamp Paper Scam, and many others. His versatility in reporting extended to red corridors of left-wing extremism where the lives of security forces and the locals in Maoist-affected areas were key points of investigation. His knack for detail provided crucial evidence of involvement from overseas in terrorist bombings in Hyderabad.
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