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Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
15 Maoists on ‘most wanted' list of police, security forces
At least 15 members of the central committee (CC) of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) remain on the most wanted list of police and security forces, documents accessed by HT have shown. The 15 members, each with a different role, carry rewards ranging from ₹40 lakh to a crore, the documents showed. Senior leader Sudhakar, who was killed in an encounter in Bijapur on Monday, was number 16 on the list. The most wanted man, Mupalla Laxmana Rao alias Ganpathy, is a CC member and former general secretary. Ganpathy was the CC general secretary before Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavarju who was killed in a gunfight on May 21. Another person on the list is Sujata alias Kalpana, who is believed to be in her 60s, and is the widow of Maoist leader Kishen ji who was killed in an encounter in 2011 in West Bengal, officials familiar with the contents of the list said. According to security records, Sujata remains a CC member and is also in charge of the South Bastar Divisional Committee. While police have announced a reward of ₹40 lakh for her arrest, the cumulative bounty from other states for her arrest could be over ₹1 crore, the officials said. 'The CPI(Maoists) used to have more than two dozen central committee members, who were their main leaders. They are the party's think tank, while the other is the military wing. These people decided how the party should spread its influence across the red corridor. They are now down to just 15, of which some may have fled from the jungles due to old age though we have no evidence. Currently there are four-five CC members, who are still active in Chhattisgarh and working with the military wing,' one senior officer, who asked not to be named, said. Second on the list of most wanted is Mallojula Venugopal alias Abhay — also a politburo member and a likely candidate to be Basavaraju's successor. 'Abhay, who is in his 60s, is still active in Chhattisgarh and is also their spokesperson. Through our sources, we heard that Abhay and another CC member, Chandranna alias Puluri Prasad Rao, could be their new general secretary,' the officer said, adding that there is no credible intelligence with forces about reports on social media that Ganapathy has returned to lead the party. The officer added that after Basavaraju's death last month, the party has been unable to convene a meeting to select its new leader. 'CPI Maoist leadership is facing its extinction. From a strength of around 45 few years back now their top leadership strength have depleted to around 14,' Bastar range IG P Sundarraj said. A second official said that while the most wanted list has CC members, the people whom the forces are more desperate to get are the military commanders. The youngest in this list of 15 CC members, Madhvi Hidma (52), is still the man, leading the armed cadres. 'Along with Hidma, there is Barse Deva, commander of PLGA Battalion number 1, and Dulla, who is the commander of company number 1. These are people who are still fit and young too, who are still putting up a fight and refusing to surrender. Getting them will impact the military prowess of the Maoists,' the second officer added. Two others on the list are Misir Besra alias Sunirmal and Deoji alias Chetan Deoji, both in their 60s, who are part of the Maoists Central Military Commission. While Besra is a CMC member, Deoji is the secretary of the Central Military Commission. The CMC is apex body of the Maoists responsible for planning and executing armed attacks against security forces. To be sure, the order of the names in the list is not based on order of their importance. In 2025, the security forces have neutralised at least 3 CC members.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
How a BTech degree holder 'engineered' major Naxal attacks on security forces
Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju, the influential general secretary of the CPI (Maoist), was killed in an encounter along with 26 others on Wednesday in a major blow to the Maoist insurgency, officials said. A native of Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju had been part of the banned Maoist movement since the 1970s and rose to the top leadership position of the CPI (Maoist) seven years ago. He carried a bounty of ₹1 crore on his head in Chhattisgarh and was believed to be the mastermind behind several deadly attacks on security forces in the state. He was among the 27 Naxals killed in a fierce gunbattle with security personnel in the dense forests of Abhujmad, located at the tri-junction of Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada districts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In Kemerovskaya Oblast - Watch What Happens Happy in Shape Undo Officials described his death as a significant milestone in the government's campaign to stamp out Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) from the country. Basavaraju, considered an expert in guerrilla warfare, took over as general secretary of the proscribed CPI (Maoist) in 2018, replacing Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganpathy, then aged 71, who stepped down from the position due to his deteriorating health condition and age-related issues. Ganpathy was holding the position since 2004 when the Community Party of India (Maoist) was formed with the merger of the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) (People's War) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) to lead the armed movement. Since 2018, Maoists had executed several deadly attacks in Bastar, including in Tekalgudem (Bijapur) where 22 security personnel were killed in 2021, the 2020 Minpa ambush (Sukma) wherein 17 security personnel lost their lives and Shyamgiri attack (Dantewada) in April 2019 in which BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi and four security personnel were killed. Live Events A resident of Jiyannapeta village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju holds a BTech degree from the Regional Engineering College, Warangal, and was seen as an enigmatic leader of the outlawed Naxal outfit. Known by the aliases of Prakash, Krishna, Vijay, Umesh and Kamlu, he joined the armed movement in the 1970s as a ground-level organizer, a police official told PTI. In 1992, he was elected as a member of the central committee of the erstwhile Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist People's War, when Ganapathy became its general secretary, he said. Before being elevated as general secretary, he headed the Central Military Commission (CMC) of Maoists for several years, police said. Considered an expert in imparting military training and handling explosives and landmines, cadres of Basavaraju's team were equipped with sophisticated weapons. A three-layered ring of armed cadres he kept around him in forests had so far made him untraceable by security forces, they said. Basavaraju's age and looks is still a matter of speculation with security agencies suggesting he was around 71 years of age. They just have a bundle of old photos of him of his young age. For the last few years, security forces have been consistently carrying out intelligence-based operations in interiors of Bijapur and Sukma to target Central Committee and Polit Bureau members of Maoists and they finally succeeded in eliminating Basavaraju in dense jungles and tough terrain, which had kept him and his team safe so far, a police officer said on the condition of anonymity. Polit Bureau is the topmost decision-making body of CPI (Maoist) and Basavaraju was a member of it. Wednesday's encounter was part of an operation launched three days ago to corner Central Committee and Polit Bureau members of the banned outfit, the officer said. The encounter took place following 70-hour-long combing by security forces in dense forests of Abhujmad. Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from four districts -- Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon -- were involved in the operation based on intelligence inputs about the presence of Central Committee and Polit Bureau members of CPI (Maoist), as well as senior Maad Division cadres and PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerilla Army) members, he said. DRG is the frontline anti-Naxal unit of the state police. A large cache of weapons was recovered during the anti-Naxal operation, he said. One DRG member was also killed, while a few other personnel sustained injuries during the encounter, the officer said. Accused of plotting multiple Naxalite attacks, Basavaraju carried a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head in Chhattisgarh. However, governments of other states, including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana, had also announced rewards of different amounts on him, he said. Security experts hailed the operation as a historic achievement in the fight against Naxalism in the country and commended the DRG's role in the encounter. "Basavaraju was trained in guerrilla warfare by Maoist leader Ganpathy's friend and first general secretary Sita Ramaiah. Basavaraju was chief commander of the central military wing during Ganpathy's tenure as general secretary," said Dr Girishkant Pandey, a security expert and principal at a government college in Nawagarh (Bemetara district). "Basavaraju had no experience in running the organisation politically and therefore after his elevation as general secretary, the Maoist movement slowed down," opined Pandey. Security forces have achieved a major success by killing this top Naxal commander after penetrating his security cover. Now the Naxalite outfit has no senior leader in the 40 to 50 age group, he added. (with PTI Inputs)
Business Mayor
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Mayor
Basavaraju: B Tech degree holder who ‘engineered' major Naxal attacks on security forces
Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, the powerful general secretary of CPI (Maoist) killed in an encounter along with 26 others on Wednesday, had masterminded several major attacks on security forces in Chhattisgarh and his death is a big blow to the armed movement, said officials. Advertisement Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju, who carried a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head in Chhattisgarh, had been associated with the banned movement since 1970s and was elevated to the top post in CPI (Maoist) seven years ago, they said. He was among the 27 dreaded Naxals killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region. The encounter took place in dense forests of Abhujmad on the tri-junction of Narayanpur-Bijapur-Dantewada districts. The killing of long-hunted Maoist leader, who masterminded several major Naxalite attacks, marks the most significant achievement in efforts by the government and security forces to eliminate Left-wing extremism (LWE) from the country, the officials asserted. Basavaraju, considered an expert in guerrilla warfare, took over as general secretary of the proscribed CPI (Maoist) in 2018, replacing Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganpathy, then aged 71, who stepped down from the position due to his deteriorating health condition and age-related issues. Ganpathy was holding the position since 2004 when the Communist Party of India (Maoist) was formed with the merger of the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) (People's War) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) to lead the armed movement. Since 2018, Maoists had executed several deadly attacks in Bastar, including in Tekalgudem (Bijapur) where 22 security personnel were killed in 2021, the 2020 Minpa ambush (Sukma) wherein 17 security personnel lost their lives and Shyamgiri attack (Dantewada) in April 2019 in which BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi and four security personnel were killed. A resident of Jiyannapeta village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju holds a B Tech degree from the Regional Engineering College, Warangal, and was seen as an enigmatic leader of the outlawed Naxal outfit. Known by the aliases of Prakash, Krishna, Vijay, Umesh and Kamlu, he joined the armed movement in the 1970s as a ground-level organiser, a police official told PTI. In 1992, he was elected a member of the central committee of the erstwhile Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist People's War, when Ganapathy became its general secretary, he said. Before being elevated as general secretary, he headed the Central Military Commission (CMC) of Maoists for several years, police said. Considered an expert in imparting military training and handling explosives and landmines, cadres of Basavaraju's team were equipped with sophisticated weapons. A three-layered ring of armed cadres he kept around him in forests had so far made him untraceable by security forces, they said. Basavaraju's age and looks is still a matter of speculation with security agencies suggesting he was around 71 years of age. They just have a bundle of old photos of him of his young age. For the last few years, security forces have been consistently carrying out intelligence-based operations in interiors of Bijapur and Sukma to target Central Committee and Polit Bureau members of Maoists and they finally succeeded in eliminating Basavaraju in dense jungles and tough terrain, which had kept him and his team safe so far, a police officer said on condition of anonymity. Polit Bureau is the topmost decision-making body of CPI (Maoist) and Basavaraju was a member of it. Wednesday's encounter was part of an operation launched three days ago to corner Central Committee and Polit Bureau members of the banned outfit, the officer said. The encounter took place following 70-hour-long combing by security forces in dense forests of Abhujmad.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Basavaraju: BTech degree holder who 'engineered' major Naxal attacks on security forces
Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju , the powerful general secretary of CPI ( Maoist ) killed in an encounter along with 26 others on Wednesday, had masterminded several major attacks on security forces in Chhattisgarh and his death is a big blow to the armed movement, said officials. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju, who carried a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head in Chhattisgarh, had been associated with the banned movement since 1970s and was elevated to the top post in CPI (Maoist) seven years ago, they said. He was among the 27 dreaded Naxals killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region. The encounter took place in dense forests of Abhujmad on the tri-junction of Narayanpur-Bijapur-Dantewada districts. The killing of long-hunted Maoist leader, who masterminded several major Naxalite attacks, marks the most significant achievement in efforts by the government and security forces to eliminate Left-wing extremism (LWE) from the country, the officials asserted. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 30:17 Loaded : 0.86% 00:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 30:17 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Windows Users Don't Forget To Do This Before Wednesday Read More Undo Basavaraju, considered an expert in guerrilla warfare, took over as general secretary of the proscribed CPI (Maoist) in 2018, replacing Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganpathy, then aged 71, who stepped down from the position due to his deteriorating health condition and age-related issues. Ganpathy was holding the position since 2004 when the Community Party of India (Maoist) was formed with the merger of the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) (People's War) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) to lead the armed movement. Since 2018, Maoists had executed several deadly attacks in Bastar, including in Tekalgudem (Bijapur) where 22 security personnel were killed in 2021, the 2020 Minpa ambush (Sukma) wherein 17 security personnel lost their lives and Shyamgiri attack (Dantewada) in April 2019 in which BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi and four security personnel were killed. Live Events A resident of Jiyannapeta village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju holds a BTech degree from the Regional Engineering College, Warangal, and was seen as an enigmatic leader of the outlawed Naxal outfit. Known by the aliases of Prakash, Krishna, Vijay, Umesh and Kamlu, he joined the armed movement in the 1970s as a ground-level organizer, a police official told PTI. In 1992, he was elected as a member of the central committee of the erstwhile Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist People's War, when Ganapathy became its general secretary, he said. Before being elevated as general secretary, he headed the Central Military Commission (CMC) of Maoists for several years, police said. Considered an expert in imparting military training and handling explosives and landmines, cadres of Basavaraju's team were equipped with sophisticated weapons. A three-layered ring of armed cadres he kept around him in forests had so far made him untraceable by security forces, they said. Basavaraju's age and looks is still a matter of speculation with security agencies suggesting he was around 71 years of age. They just have a bundle of old photos of him of his young age. For the last few years, security forces have been consistently carrying out intelligence-based operations in interiors of Bijapur and Sukma to target Central Committee and Polit Bureau members of Maoists and they finally succeeded in eliminating Basavaraju in dense jungles and tough terrain, which had kept him and his team safe so far, a police officer said on the condition of anonymity. Polit Bureau is the topmost decision-making body of CPI (Maoist) and Basavaraju was a member of it. Wednesday's encounter was part of an operation launched three days ago to corner Central Committee and Polit Bureau members of the banned outfit, the officer said. The encounter took place following 70-hour-long combing by security forces in dense forests of Abhujmad. Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from four districts -- Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon -- were involved in the operation based on intelligence inputs about the presence of Central Committee and Polit Bureau members of CPI (Maoist), as well as senior Maad Division cadres and PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerilla Army) members, he said. DRG is the frontline anti-Naxal unit of the state police. A large cache of weapons was recovered during the anti-Naxal operation, he said. One DRG member was also killed, while a few other personnel sustained injuries during the encounter, the officer said. Accused of plotting multiple Naxalite attacks, Basavaraju carried a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head in Chhattisgarh. However, governments of other states, including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana, had also announced rewards of different amounts on him, he said. Security experts hailed the operation as a historic achievement in the fight against Naxalism in the country and commended the DRG's role in the encounter. "Basavaraju was trained in guerrilla warfare by Maoist leader Ganpathy's friend and first general secretary Sita Ramaiah. Basavaraju was chief commander of the central military wing during Ganpathy's tenure as general secretary," said Dr Girishkant Pandey, a security expert and principal at a government college in Nawagarh (Bemetara district). "Basavaraju had no experience in running the organisation politically and therefore after his elevation as general secretary, the Maoist movement slowed down," opined Pandey. Security forces have achieved a major success by killing this top Naxal commander after penetrating his security cover. Now the Naxalite outfit has no senior leader in the 40 to 50 age group, he added.
