Raipur: In yet another big blow to the banned CPI (Maoist), its top central committee member Thentu Laxminarasimha Chalam alias Sudhakar, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur’s Indravati National Park, in Chhattisgarh, on Thursday.
Sudhakar carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head. The security forces found an automatic weapon close to the body, an official said. The operation is still underway, he said.
“This is another major step towards elimination of Left Wing Extremism from the country. Either they surrender or they die,” the official said.
A few days ago, top Maoist commander Basavaraju was killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh. Twenty-six other Maoists were also killed in that operation.
Sudhakar, aged around 66, belongs to Pragadavaram of Chintalapudi mandal in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district. He discontinued his Ayurvedic Medicine course before joining the Maoists. He was promoted to the central committee in 2021. He was in charge of the RePos or People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), the heavily-armed wing of the CPI (Maoist).
According to the official, Bijapur’s District Reserve Guards (DRG), CRPF’s CoBRA forces and STF personnel took part in the encounter following information about the presence of a large number of Maoist cadres in the National Park area.
Among those suspected to be present – apart from Sudhakar – were Telangana state committee member Bandi Prakash and Pappa Rao, member of the dreaded Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee.
