Three top Maoists killed in Andhra encounter
Paderu (Andhra Pradesh), June 18 (UNI) Three top-ranked Maoists, including central committee Member Gajarla Ravi alias Uday were killed in a fierce encounter with the Greyhounds personnel at Rampachodavaram village early on Wednesday.
According to the police, a Greyhound team conducted combing at Kondamodalu, Koyyalagudem and Chintakur villages between Rampachodavaram and Maredumilli mandal in the forest area. The Greyhound team noticed the movements of Maoists near Devipatnam forest area.
When the Greyhounds personnel were nearing them, the Maoists opened fire which the Greyhounds retaliated. Sources said that Maoists central committee member Gajarla Ravi alias Uday, Andhra-Odisha Border ACM Anju and special zone committee member Aruna were killed in the encounter.
The police recovered three AK 47 rifles and ammunition from the encounter site. One of the deceased, Aruna, was the wife of one of the Maoists' top leaders and Central Committee member Chalapathi Rao, who was killed in an encounter in January, 2025 at the AP-Odisha border. Aruna was an accused in the killings of the then MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Somu in the combined Visakhapatnam in 2018 at Dumbiguda village.
Another deceased Gajarla Ravi alias Uday was carrying a reward Rs 25 lakh while Aruna was carrying Rs 20 lakh reward. Aruna belonged to Karakavanipalem of Pendurthi mandal near Visakhapatnam. Additional police forces were deployed from Maredumilliu and Devipatnam to the encounter site.
The bodies of the three deceased Maoists were being shifted to the GGH in Rampachodavarm, police sources said. This is the first major encounter with the Maoists in Andhra Pradesh since bifurcation of the combined AP state in 2014.
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