In a significant setback to CPI Maoists, security forces have successfully eliminated three high-ranking members, including Gajarla Ravi alias Uday and Ravi Venka Chaitanya alias Aruna, in an intense encounter near Kintukuru village, Andhra Pradesh. A third cadre, Anju, was also killed in the exchange.
Police reports indicate that a group of 16 Maoists was spotted in the region. Following a 25-minute exchange of fire, security forces recovered three bodies, confirming the identities of Uday, Aruna, and Anju. The remaining members managed to flee, prompting intensified combing operations.
Gajarla Ravi, a seasoned Maoist operative since the 1980s, had previously been involved in peace talks with the Andhra Pradesh government. His counterpart, Aruna, was the wife of another high-ranking Maoist, Pratapareddy Ramachandra Reddy, who had been eliminated in a previous encounter. This latest crackdown marks a major blow to the Maoist insurgency in the Andhra-Odisha Border region.
The Maoists have suffered repeated setbacks in recent years, and the elimination of senior leaders is expected to impact their operational strategies severely.
