Two of last 12 Maoist leaders killed in Chhattisgarh gunfight

In a significant blow to the already depleted leadership of Naxals, two key Maoists -- Katta Ramachandra Reddy (aka Raju Dada) (63) and Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy (alias Kosa Dada) (67) -- were on Monday killed in an encounter by the security forces in Abujhmad area of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district.

Both of the killed Maoists were natives of Karimnagar district of Telangana and key Central Committee members of CPI (Maoist). They also carried a bounty of Rs 40 lakh each.

According to the police sources, the gunfight took place on Monday morning during a search operation. The security forces had launched the search after they received inputs about the movement of Maoists in the Abhujmad forest along the Chhattisgarh–Maharashtra border.

After several hours of gun battle, the ultras retreated in the forest, leaving behind the bodies of the two Naxal leaders. The security forces also recovered one AK-47 rifle, one INSAS rifle, one Under Barrel Grenade Launcher, some Maoist literature and other daily-use items from the site.

Hailing the operation, Home Minister Amit Shah, in a post on X, said, “In the Abujhmad region of Narayanpur along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, our forces eliminated two Central Committee Member Naxal leaders - Katta Ramachandra Reddy and Kadri Satyanarayan Reddy. Our security forces are systematically dismantling the top leadership of the Naxals, breaking the backbone of red terror.”

Sources informed that Raju Dada, also known by aliases Gudsa Usendi, Vijay and Vikalp, had been active for 40 years and was currently a member of the Maoist Central Committee, the highest decision-making body of the banned organisation.

Kosa Dada, also known as Gopanna and Buchanna, a Central Committee member, was considered a key strategist of the outfit and served as the operations planner for the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, where he had been active since the early 1990s. Both of them had been involved in major ambushes and attacks targeting security personnel across Bastar, the police said.

Their killing has further reduced the Central Committee of CPI (Maoist) to 10.

The Tribune on September 19 had reported how the killing and surrender of some key Naxals in the recent past had hit the Maoists hard, with only 12 top Central Committee members left. Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy and Katta Ramachandra Reddy were among these 12 leaders.

Now with the killing of these two on Monday, the Maoist leadership has further depleted, even as voices of surrendering and initiating peace talks with the government seem to be rising from within the Naxals' fold.

The CPI (Maoist) Central Committee also received fresh setbacks last week, when on September 12, a top Naxal leader, Modem Balakrishna, was shot dead in a gun battle with security forces in Chhattisgarh. Pothula Padmavathi (known as Kalpana), Mynakka, Mainabai and Sujatha, a senior-most underground leader of the banned CPI (Maoist), had surrendered before the Telangana DGP on September 13. She had been underground for 43 years.

Maoist Sahadev Soren was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces at Karando in Jharkhand on September 15. One of the top CCM members, Soren was killed along with two of his comrades. He carried a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head.

Another key Naxal leader, Nambala Keshav Rao, aka Basavaraju, was earlier shot dead in a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Gariyaband on May 21 this year.

Now with the elimination of Katta Ramachandra Reddy and Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy, only 10 top Central Committee leaders now remain absconding. These are Muppala Lakshmana Rao, Mallojulla Venugopal, Thippiri Thirupathi (reportedly the new CPI (Maoist) general secretary), Pulluri Prasad Rao, Paka Hanumanthulu, Pusunuri Narahari (all from Telangana), Misir Besra, Anal Da (both from Jharkhand) and Madavi Hidma as well as Majjidev (both from Chhattisgarh).

Muppala Lakshmana Rao was said to be keeping unwell, police sources said.

Senior Maoist commander Madavi Hidma has reportedly been appointed as secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist), which is considered one of the most powerful decision-making bodies of the outlawed party.