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Hyderabad: In a big jolt to the Maoist movement in Andhra Pradesh, police gunned down the top guerrilla leader in the state in a gun battle yesterday. Madhav, state committee secretary of the outlawed Communist Party of India -Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML), and seven other rebels were killed by commandos of Greyhounds, the elite anti-Maoist police force, in Nallamalla forests in Prakasam district, about 250 km from here. This is the first time in over three decades of Maoist insurgency in the state that their top leader was gunned down by police. Fearing retaliation by the guerrillas, police have sounded a red alert all over the state, and ministers, legislators and other politicians have been advised to take all precautions for their safety.
Madhav, who had taken over as state secretary last year, was also involved in the assassination bid on former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in 2003 and the murder of Congress legislator Narsi Reddy last year. A native of Karimnagar district, Madhav had joined the Maoist movement about 25 years ago. He took over as state secretary after Ramakrishna was included in the central committee of CPI-Maoist, the biggest of a dozen Maoist groups in India. Initial reports had said that Madhav escaped with injuries. The Prakasam police confirmed that he was among the eight Maoists killed in the gun battle. The slain Maoists also include CPI-ML state committee member, Guntur district secretary Jeevan alias Prakash and five women. No policemen was injured in the firing. According to police, the gun battle occurred when the police party combing in the forests came across a group of 25 Maoists holding a meeting. On being asked by the police to surrender, the Maoists opened fire and police retaliated. Police recovered one AK-47 rife, three 303 rifles, three double-barrel guns, two single-barrel guns and eight kit bags from the scene of the gun battle. Hundreds of policemen were continuing combing operations in the forests, as about 40 Maoists, including some top leaders, were believed to be present in the area.
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