Security Agencies On Hunt For Top Maoist Leaders

Security agencies, including NIA, have launched a massive manhunt for the hardcore Maoist leaders, who carry bounties of crores, writes ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi: Following the killing of senior Maoist leader Jayaram Reddy alias Chalapati along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border during an anti-Naxal operation, the security agencies have launched a massive manhunt for the top three Maoists leaders, namely Nambala Keshava Rao, Madvi Hidma and Ganapathy. These three leaders are carrying bounties of crores of rupees on their heads.

Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraj has a bounty of Rs 1.50 crore while Madvi Hidma and Ganapathy have bounties of Rs 1 crore and Rs 2.50 crore respectively. Although Ganapathy resigned in 2018, his influence and involvement in the Naxal movement is still on.

Basavaraj, who is also the general secretary of the CPI(M), is included in the most-wanted list of National Investigation Agency (NIA). By evading the security agencies, Basavaraj continued his operations from his hideouts.

“There are several Maoists leaders who are on the target list of security agencies. However, Basavaraj, Hidma and Ganapathy will be the topmost catch,” a senior official from the security establishment told ETV Bharat.

• Nambala Keshava Rao

Nambala Keshava Rao, who is also known as Gaganna was earlier the chief of the outfit’s central military commission. Following the resignation of Ganapathy in 2018, Rao became the supreme commander of the outfit.

Hailing from Jiyannapet village of Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district, Rao was a former kabaddi player and passed BTech from Regional Engineering College, presently National Institute of Technology, Warangal. Born in 1955, Rao was active in left wing student politics during his student life. Rao was once arrested in 1980 at Srikakulam following a clash between two students’ unions, Radical Students Union (RSU) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

• Madvi Hidma

Born in 1981, Madvi Hidma is one of the ferocious members of the outfit. He was allegedly responsible for various attacks on the security forces in Chhattisgarh including the Darbha valley Naxal attack in 2013. Hidmawas also responsible for the 2010 Maoist attack in Dantewada and the 2017 Sukma attack.

Born in Purvati village of south Sukma in Chhattisgarh, Hidma is also known as Hidmalu alias Santosh. After completing class 10, Hidma joined the organisation and became a master strategist of military operation and guerrilla warfare.

He is currently the commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army’s ‘Battalion No. 1’.

• Ganapathy

Born in Sarangapur, Karimnagar district of Telangana in 1949, Ganapathy is one of the leaders who lead the Maoists movement in India. Ganapathy is a science graduate and also holds a BEd degree. In his early days, before joining Maoists, Ganapathy worked as a teacher but left his job to pursue higher education.

During his college days in Warangal, Ganapathy came in touch with several Maoists activists. Influenced by their ideology, Ganapathy subsequently joined the Naxalite movement.

This former general secretary of Maoists is also known by Mupalla Lakshman Rao, alias Shrinivas, CS among others.

Location Of Top Three Maoist Leaders

The central security agencies have intensified their hut in different remote locations of Chhattisgarh and Odisha border as well as Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh border. Nambala Keshava Rao is believed to be operating from the Chhattisgarh and Odisha border. The NIA filed a chargesheet against Rao and declared him as absconder and proclaimed offenders.

Hidma is believed to be operating from Bastar, which is located in Chhattisgarh south and borders Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra.

Ganapathy who has retired from the organisation reportedly due to his ailments, is believed to have shifted his base abroad. He is believed to be taken shelter in Nepal.

Other Top Maoist Leaders

Several significant Maoist leaders with huge bounties on their heads are now under close surveillance of the security agencies. And with an aim to dig out such leaders from their hideouts, security agencies have adopted a multi-pronged strategy by setting up more forward posts in the forests and jungles of Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Maharashtra.

Mallojula Venugopal, Katakam Sudarshan, Misir Besra alias Bhaskar, Prayag Manjhi alias Vivek, Asim Mandal alias Akash, and Patiram Manjhi are some of the other senior members of the outfit, who are on the most-wanted lists of the security agencies.

Misir Besra, Prayag Manjhi, Asim Mandal and Patiram Manjhi are among those with a bounty of Rs 1 crore on their heads and are on the radar of the Jharkhand Police.

Former Director General of CRPF Hails Anti-Naxal Operations

Talking to this correspondent, former director general of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Durga Prasad, hailed the successful operations against Naxals. “The security agencies are getting major success against Nnaxals. And if it continues, the outlawed organisation will definitely erode,” Prasad said.

He said that the elimination of top leaders have definitely been working against the Naxal movements. “The outfit is losing its local support, recruitment among two major points,” Prasad said.

The former director general of CRPF also hailed the strategy and coordination adopted by the Central security agencies as well as state police forces.

“Security forces are in the upper hand now. Proper training of the security personnel, as well as improved intelligence in addition to Central government’s support are helping in the anti-Naxal operations,” he added.

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