Hyderabad , April 6: Two top Maoists from Andhra Pradesh, Katakam Sudarshan and Tipparti Tirupati, led the biggest-ever attack carried out by Naxals in the country in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.
Though there are reports that around 1,000 Maoists took part in the attack, senior police officers of the state who are familiar with Naxal operations say that only around 300 attackers were present. It is believed that there are around 3,000 armed Maoists in Chhattisgarh.
Source said at least three “military companies” of the CPI Maoist People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army united for the operation.
“The central regional military command led by Tirupati executed the attack under the guidance of the political wing of the central regional bureau led by Sudarshan,” said a senior police officer.
“The local dalams of the Dandakarnaya Special Zonal Committee may also have assisted them. The central regional bureau covers parts of AP, Chhattsigarh and Orissa.”
Sudharshan, 53, hails from Bellampally in Adilabad and carries a reward of Rs 12 lakhs on his head. He and Tirupati, 46, who are also members of the central committee, are wanted in several cases, including the attack on former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
The DKSZC is dominated by Telugu-speaking Maoists. In all, 15 out of 20 members of the committee are from Karimnagar, Warangal and other parts of AP.
Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy, alias Kosa, of Gopalarapalli in Karimnagar, is the secretary of the DKSZC. Maoist Muppala Lakshmana Rao, alias Krishna Kumari (Ganapati’s wife), is district committee secretary of South Bastar.
U. Sudhakar Reddy