Latest news with #Gondi
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Wife's arrest reignites hunt for Ashanna, India's most elusive Maoist commander
Hyderabad: The long-drawn trail of one of India's most dangerous Maoist leaders, Takkalapalli Vasudeva Rao, alias Ashanna, has reignited after his wife, Sri Vidya, was arrested by Telangana police in Hyderabad on July 24. A senior cadre of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), Sri Vidya's arrest has turned the spotlight back on Ashanna—a top strategist and executioner in the Maoist insurgency who has eluded capture for over three decades. According to intelligence sources, Ashanna, also called Rupesh, is now believed to be operating from the dense Abujhmadh forests in Chhattisgarh, continuing to direct lethal guerrilla operations across central India. His reputation as a master tactician and bomb-maker is matched only by his ability to vanish into the forested terrain, evading even the most sophisticated security crackdowns. A life in rebellion You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Born in Polonipalli village in Warangal (now Mulugu district), Ashanna hailed from a middle class Velama family. After studying at an ITI Polytechnic, he joined the People's War Group (PWG) in 1991. Within a decade, he was involved in over 48 criminal cases in Warangal district alone, including attacks on police stations and sabotage of railway lines. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Comfortably: 60m2 prefabricated bungalow for the elderly in Benteng Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo His meteoric rise began with his appointment as head of the PWG's action team in Hyderabad in 1999. A decade later, he was inducted into the CPI (Maoist) central committee. Intelligence sources suspect that he may have been elevated as a Central Committee member. However, Ashanna, in an interview said he is in-charge of the North-West Sub-Zonal Committee of Dandakaranya of CPI (Maoist). Fluent in Telugu, Hindi, and Gondi, Ashanna carries an AK-47 and a ₹20 lakh bounty declared by the Telangana govt. High-profile killings Ashanna's name comes to mind in some of the most audacious and politically destabilising Maoist strikes. He masterminded the 2000 landmine attack that killed then Andhra Pradesh home minister A Madhava Reddy, and the daylight gunning down of IPS officer KS Umesh Chandra in Hyderabad in 1999. His sensational strike came in 2003—a failed assassination attempt on then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu at Alipiri ghat road, near Tirupati, using claymore mines. Though Naidu survived, the attack marked a turning point in the state's anti-Naxal policy. Ashanna was also linked to multiple assassination attempts on ex-CM N Janardhan Reddy in 2003 and 2007. In the latter attack, three aides were killed. Forensics pointed to his trademark use of remote-detonated landmines. He is suspected of involvement in the 2019 IED blast in Gadchiroli that killed 15 Maharashtra policemen and had even allegedly camped in Delhi to plot a high-level assassination before escaping a police raid. Ashanna has also served as a military trainer at the Buniyadi Communist Training School in Dandakaranya. His instruction in explosives, intelligence gathering, and ambush tactics have shaped many of the CPI (Maoist)'s current operatives. He also headed the group's military intelligence unit, guiding operations across Telangana, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh. Despite nearly being captured in Mahbubnagar in 2010 and false reports of his death in 2018, Ashanna remains India's most wanted Maoist figure. A tactical opening? In a joint operation by the Special Intelligence Bureau and Miyapur police, Sri Vidya was arrested from a rented house in Hafeezpet, Hyderabad. A senior member of the Dandakaranya state committee, she too carried a ₹20 lakh reward. Maoist literature and a laptop were seized, but no solid intelligence on Ashanna has surfaced yet. "We believe he may now go deeper into the forests or shift entirely," said an officer. Still, security forces are hopeful the arrest might offer the breakthrough they've sought for over three decades. However, in a recent interview to the media, Ashanna has put forth truce proposal and a ceasefire to govt following the Kagar encounter killings.
The Wire
20-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Six Maoists Including Battalion One Chief Shot Dead in Bastar Ahead of Martyrdom Week
Hyderabad: After a brief lull in their gun battle, the police shot dead six Maoists, including four women, on Friday (July 18) in an alleged encounter close to where party supremo Nambala Kesava Rao fell to their bullets in Abhujmad forest of Narayanpur district in Chhattisgarh on May 21. Thursday's encounter, which claimed the lives of six members of the dreaded Battalion One of People's Liberation Guerilla Army, the most dangerous unit of CPI (Maoist), dealt another deadly blow to the party. It took place after uneasy calm in the contiguous forest of Chhattisgarh since the previous one on June 7, when seven comrades, including a Central Committee member Sudhakar and two Telangana State committee members Bhaskar and Bandi Prakash, were shot down. It was more than 24 hours after the encounter that the police declared the identity of the slain Maoists on Saturday evening. The Inspector General of Police of Bastar region, Sundarraj P, issued a press release saying the slain Maoists were identified as Rahul Punem alias Latchu Punem, commander of Battalion One of PLGA and a Bastar Divisional Committee member, and PLGA members Ungi Tati, Manisha, Tati Meena alias Choti, Harish and Kudam Budhri. An AK 47 assault rifle, a self-loading rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered. Battalion One is primarily used for ensuring the safe movement of senior Maoist leaders. The killing of Rahul Punem, who headed the battalion, is a significant setback for the party, the release said, adding that, with this encounter, the total number of Maoists killed in Bastar region in 2025 has gone up to 204. Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Robinson Guria said that based on credible intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoist cadre in Pariya-Kakur jungles of Abhujmad, a joint operation was launched on July 17 by personnel of District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force and the Border Security Force. On July 18, intermittent exchanges of fire took place between the Maoists and the security forces throughout the afternoon. "We are in a decisive phase of eliminating Naxalism from Bastar. Those who are misled by its hollow ideology and continue to obstruct the region's development must surrender. This is the only way to secure their lives and reclaim their dignity. If not, they will face inevitable consequences," said Robinson. The Inspector General Sundarraj P. said "a determined and effective campaign is underway across Bastar division against the banned and illegal CPI (Maoist) outfit. In just the first half of 2005, as many as 204 Maoists have been neutralised in various encounters. Bastar police is committed to continuing this momentum". It is significant that the latest encounter took place days ahead of the "martyrdom week" observed by Maoists every year from July 28-August 3 to commemorate those who died in the party's armed struggle. CPI (Maoist) recently released a press note and a 24-page booklet in Gondi and English calling for the success of the week to counter the dwindling strength of the party and honour the fallen comrades. The note highlighted Bastar as the fulcrum of Dandakaranya, where the outfit suffered its biggest loss with 281 fatalities reported in this area alone in the past year. Overall, the party claimed that 357 Naxalites were killed in encounters since the launch of 'Operation Kagar' on January 1 last year. They included 136 women, four central committee members and 15 state committee members. The encounters ran alongside sustained counter-insurgency efforts and attractive rehabilitation packages. The combined strategy has significantly impacted the Maoist movement. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai last week in a post on X said that 1,521 Maoists have surrendered in the state in the past 15 months. On an average, three Maoists have surrendered every day during the period. He called it "a strong indicator of the increasing reach and trust of the government in the Maoist affected regions". Sai also wrote "this is not just a surrender, it is a victory of trust – the trust our government has built by taking development to the remotest corners through people-centric schemes. Today, it's not the bullets but the voice of development that can be heard in Bastar". Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran S. Chavan said that all surrendered Maoists will be provided the incentive amount and other facilities at the rate of Rs 50,000 each under the new rehabilitation policy of the government. The stick and carrot policy of Chhattisgarh government had a cascading effect on adjoining Telangana too where surrenders have spiked. In view of the onslaught against them in Chhattisgarh, members of the cadre, who had origins in Telangana but had been posted in Chhattisgarh for party work, looked up to political leaders in Telangana to negotiate their surrender before the police. About 390 such cadre members surrendered this year in Telangana. A top Maoist couple from Chhattisgarh surrendered itself to Ambar Kumar Jha, Commissioner of Police of Ramagundam in Telangana, four days ago. Atram Latchanna, a member of the Telangana State committee of CPI (Maoist) and his wife Atram Aruna had surrendered to him. They hailed from villages under the jurisdictional limits of the commissionerate. While Latchanna led the party activities in Chhattisgarh for over three decades and maintained close contact with top leadership of the party, Aruna worked as the divisional committee secretary of the party in Bastar. The couple was driven in a car by the police from Chhattisgarh when they expressed a desire to surrender to police in Telangana. Latchanna told media persons that he was asked to face the risk when he approached the party leadership to let him surrender. Another couple from Chhattisgarh – Sanjeev, member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee's secretariat, and his wife Perugula Parvathi who was also a member of the committee, surrendered before Commissioner of Police of Rachakonda, G. Sudhir Babu, on July 17. The police official announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh each to the couple. Sanjeev, who spent over four-and-a-half decades underground, was a key member of Jana Natya Mandali (JNM), the cultural troupe of CPI (Maoist) founded by late balladeer Gadar. The couple attracted tribals of Chhattisgarh towards Naxalism with their songs and dances in Hindi, Telugu and Koya languages. Sanjeev had joined the JNM under the leadership of Gadar in 1980 and continued in the organisation till 1986. Thereafter, he joined the ranks of People's War to propagate the ideology of the party through song and dance in villages. After his marriage to Parvathi, the couple was involved in training the cadre of JNM. It took up performances on behalf of CPI (Maoist) after the merger of People's War with the party. Sanjeev survived two encounters with police during his underground life. He was once picked up by the police in a decoy operation when he was admitted for treatment of an injury at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Hyderabad in the early nineties. Then, Additional Superintendent of Police of Warangal A.R. Anuradha, dressed as a doctor and went to his hospital bed to take him into custody on receiving information about his admission.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
The elephant who never mated, yet became a mother to many
Bhopal: She came from the southern jungles, responding only to a language no one in this state spoke, and stood silent before the local mahouts — including Maniram, the man who would spend nearly 30 years by her side. "When I first called her, she didn't even blink," says Maniram Gond, the mahout who would eventually become her shadow. "Initially she used to only understand the south Indian language (Malayalam). I spoke Hindi and Gondi. We were strangers — two beings from different worlds." But somehow, without words, they built something stronger than language. Vatsala — the gentle giant who once hauled timber in Kerala's forests and later patrolled the tiger lands of Madhya Pradesh — lived to be over 100. She witnessed generations of elephants come and go, survived brutal injuries, lost her sight, and yet always responded to one voice: Maniram's. This week, she fell for the last time, leaving behind more than just silence in the Panna Tiger Reserve. To the man who called her his first and last elephant, it felt like losing a part of himself. Vatsala was brought to Narmadapuram from Kerala in 1971. She was already around 50 years old and had spent years working with handlers in the south, apparently responding only to Malayalam commands. In 1993, she was moved to Panna Tiger Reserve. A year later, Maniram was transferred from Narmadapuram and was assigned to her. "At first, it was frustrating. She wouldn't respond to anything. But elephants are like people — they can feel intentions. Slowly, she began to understand my tone, my touch. Even without a common language, we figured each other out." Back then, Maniram earned just two rupees a day. Now in his 50s and earning Rs 24,000 a month, he still says Vatsala was the best part of his job. Vatsala was known in the reserve for her gentle nature. "She never gave me trouble — not once in all those years," Maniram says. Then, chuckling, he adds, "Except that one time. She ran away with the howdah strapped to her back. Took us a whole week to bring her back. That's the only mischief I remember." Her calmness was legendary. Schoolchildren visiting the park would run around her, even play beneath her belly. "She never got angry. Never moved. She was like a grandmother." Indeed, while Vatsala never mated, she took on the role of caretaker for young elephants in the reserve. Many called her 'Dadi' as well. "She looked after all the calves. She'd guide them, protect them. But she always stayed away from male elephants. Always." That refusal to mate led to one of the most traumatic chapters in her life. In 2003 and again in 2008, a male elephant named Rambhahdur violently attacked her. "He wanted to mate, and she wouldn't let him," Maniram says. "He became aggressive and attacked her. In one of the attacks, her stomach was torn open. Her intestines came out. It took nine months of treatment to save her." Despite the pain, Vatsala healed — and never once turned aggressive in return. By 2004, her eyesight had faded severely. The forest department officially retired her from active patrol duty, recognizing her age and growing frailty. From that point on, Maniram was assigned solely to care for her. "She couldn't see, but she always knew when I was near. Even in her last years, when she was fully blind, she'd lift her trunk the moment I called her name." Now, with Vatsala gone, Maniram feels adrift. "I don't know what I'll do next. For the last three decades, she was my only responsibility." Though proud of his work, he's firm about one thing. "I won't let my son take this job. It's dangerous. Rambhahdur — the same elephant who attacked Vatsala — killed a mahout and a ranger. This work takes everything — your time, your strength, your heart." Still, he knows he was part of something rare. "She was my first elephant," he says. "And my last. No one else will be like her." Though her name may never appear in any record book, Vatsala's story — one of resilience, quiet grace, and an unlikely friendship that transcended language — will be remembered for generations in the forests of Panna. On Tuesday, Vatsala fell into a pit near the Hinauta Elephant Camp and could not get up. Her body, which had carried strength and survival for more than a century, had finally given in to time. "She fought many battles in life, but this time, her body just gave up," said a senior officer who had been part of her care team. Vatsala's remarkable age had drawn the attention of officials who wanted her recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the oldest living elephants in the world. Samples of her tusks were even sent to labs in a bid to verify her age through scientific analysis. Documentation was nearly complete. "Without official records from her early life or veterinary documentation from the time of her capture, we couldn't meet the strict criteria set by Guinness. We were so close, but we just didn't have that one paper," said an officer. Despite that, Vatsala remained a living legend in the eyes of the people who knew her. She spent over 30 years in Panna, not only surviving near-fatal injuries but serving as a silent sentinel of the forest — dignified, strong, and wise. When contacted APCCF (Wildlife) L Krishnamurthy said that there was no forensic system available to find out the exact age of the elephant. "She would be remembered forever," said the officer. R Sreenivasa Murthy, a 1987 batch IFS officer and former field director of the Panna National Park also remembered Vatsala as a calm elephant. "Elephants are social animals and they follow matriarchal" he said.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
12 Maoists, including 9 carrying ₹28.50 lakh bounty, surrender in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada
Twelve Maoists, nine of them carrying a collective reward of ₹28.50 lakh, surrendered in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) , a police official said. 'With this, a total of 1,005 Naxalites, including 249 with bounty on their heads, have so far surrendered in the district under the 'Lon Varratu' (term in Gondi dialect meaning 'return to your home/village') campaign, launched in June 2020, Dantewada', Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said. "The number of Maoists, who surrendered under the Lon Varratu campaign of the Dantewada police, has crossed the 1,000-mark and this achievement reflects the far-sighted policies of the government, the continuous action of the security forces and the trust of the local communities," he said. Also Read | Sharp rise in women Maoists killed in operations in Chhattisgarh since 2024 It is a symbol of the commitment of the government and administration to bring back the youth, who have strayed due to the hollow ideology of Maoists, to the mainstream, he said. "The 12 cadres, including two women, turned themselves in before senior police officials as well as those belonging to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), citing disappointment with growing differences within the outlawed outfit, harsh forest life and hollow Maoist ideology," he said. The surrendered cadres also said they were impressed by the rehabilitation drive 'Lon Varratu' and the state government's new surrender and rehabilitation policy, he said. Of the surrendered cadres, Chandranna alias Bursu Punem (52), who was active as a divisional committee member in the west Bastar division of Maoists, and Amit alias Hinga Barsa (26), who was active in the same rank under Gadchiroli division, carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh each, he said. The duo were involved in multiple attacks on security forces in the past, he said. Two other cadres Aruna Lekam (25), an area committee member, and Deva Kawasi (22), a section commander, carried a reward of ₹5 lakh and ₹3 lakh respectively, he said. One cadre was carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh, a woman cadre ₹1 lakh and three others ₹50,000 each, he said. The surrendered cadres under Lon Varratu drive belong to Sukma, Bijapur and Narayanpur districts apart from Dantewada, he said. In 2024, a total of 792 Naxalites had surrendered in Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Dantewada, as per police.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
12 Maoists Surrender in Chhattisgarh, Bounty Totals Rs 28.50 Lakh
NEW DELHI: Twelve Maoists, including nine with bounties totaling Rs 28.50 lakh, surrendered to authorities in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in the 'Lon Varratu' (term in Gondi dialect meaning 'return to your home/village) campaign as the total surrenders crossed 1,000 since its launch in June 2020. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The latest group of surrendered cadres included two women who turned themselves in to senior police and CRPF officials, citing disillusionment with the Maoist ideology and harsh forest life. "The number of Maoists, who surrendered under the Lon Varratu campaign of the Dantewada police, has crossed the 1,000-mark and this achievement reflects the far-sighted policies of the government, the continuous action of the security forces and the trust of the local communities," said Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai to news agency PTI. "It is a symbol of the commitment of the government and administration to bring back the youth, who have strayed due to the hollow ideology of Maoists, to the mainstream," he added. Among the surrendered militants, Chandranna alias Bursu Punem, 52, and Amit alias Hinga Barsa, 26, each carried Rs 8 lakh bounties. Both were divisional committee members involved in multiple attacks on security forces. Two other significant surrenders included Aruna Lekam, 25, an area committee member with a Rs 5 lakh bounty, and Deva Kawasi, 22, a section commander with a Rs 3 lakh reward. The remaining cadres carried varying bounties - one with Rs 2 lakh, a woman cadre with Rs 1 lakh, and three others with Rs 50,000 each. "The 12 cadres, including two women, turned themselves in before senior police officials as well as those belonging to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) citing disappointment with growing differences within outlawed outfit, harsh forest life and hollow Maoist ideology," Rai added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The surrendered individuals were also influenced by the rehabilitation drive 'Lon Varratu' and the state government's new surrender and rehabilitation policy. The successful campaign has now seen a total of 1,005 Maoists surrender, including 249 with bounties on their heads. The surrendered cadres under the Lon Varratu drive came from various districts including Sukma, Bijapur, and Narayanpur, apart from Dantewada. Police records show that in 2024, a total of 792 Maoists had surrendered across the seven districts of the Bastar region, including Dantewada.
