Three Naxals, including Sudharshan killed in encounter: DGP

Hyderabad, Oct 6: The Maoist party, which lost its State Secretary Madhav in a recent encounter in Mahaboobnagar, today suffered yet another major setback when police killed three naxals including party State Committee member and a powerful leader Sudharshan and Rayalaseema Regional Committee Secretary Ublesh in an enounter in Anantapur district.

State Director General of Police Swaranjeet Sen said with the death of Sudharshan, whom he described as a brutal killer, the Maoist party will loose their totally grip on the dense Nallamala forest from where they have been operating.

Sudharshan, also Secretary of the Nallamala forest area committee was a strategist, who was organising operations in the area under the foliage of thick forest cover. He along with two more naxals, was today killed in encounter near Gunepally forest in Anantapur district.

Hailing the elimination of Sudharshan, the DGP said Sudharshan joined Maoist party in 1989 and went underground since 1993.

Sudharshan through his viscious operations rose fast in the party, he added.

Mr Sen said Sudharshan is death was a major jolt to the Maoists which was trying to expand its activities in the State after the 'Peace Talks' between the Government and naxal organisations in 2004.

Sudharshan who carried a reward of Rs three lakh was involved in several guerrilla operations including an abortive bid on the life of a senior police officer in Prakasam district a few months ago.

Police top officials treat the Anantapur encounter as a major offence undertaken by IPS officer Stefen Ravindra, who as a SP of Warangal distrcit had eliminated many naxals.

Even a day after a transfer order was served on him at Warangal, there was an enounter in the district in which four Maoists were killed. Mr Ravindra who took over as SP of Anantapur, intensified combing operations and within few days, got Sudharshan killed in an encounter.

Balladeer and revolutionary singer Gaddar termed the Anantapur enounter as 'fake' and one-sided.

The Anantapur district Superintendent of Police Stefen Ravindra told mediapersons that two rifles, two claymore mines, one pistol, revolutionary literature and utensils were recovered from the encounter spot.

Meanwhile, three police constables were injured in a claymore mine blast in Palakajedi Village at Koyyur Mandal in East Godavari District today.

Police said Naxals triggered the blast while the police were engaged in combing operations in the forest. The injured constables were later admitted to a nearby hospital. Police recovered another claymore mine from the spot.

UNI