Three Naxals wanted by NIA now active in Andhra-Odisha border

BHUBANESWAR: Three of the four Naxals wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are reportedly active in Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), said police sources.

The NIA released posters of Gajarla Ravi alias Uday, Jalumuri Srinu, Metturu Joga Rao alias Tech Shankar and Khillo Ranju alias Chanti. Uday is a native of Warangal district in Telangana, Srinu hails from Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district, Shankar is from Srikakulam district and Chanti is from Malkangiri district.

In the posters released in Koraput on Friday, NIA’s Kolkata branch office announced Rs 10 lakh cash reward for information on Uday, Rs 5 lakh each for Srinu and Tech Shankar and Rs 3 lakh for Chanti.Sources said Uday was promoted as a central committee member of the banned outfit and he is currently the secretary of AOBSZC. Srinu is reportedly Uday’s protection squad in-charge while Tech Shankar heads the technical wing.

Tech Shankar has expertise is manufacturing bombs and repairing guns. Police sources said Uday, Srinu and Tech Shankar are operating under AOBSZC, Chanti is reportedly not very active since the last few years. The NIA has said that the identities of the informants sharing the details regarding the whereabouts of the four Naxals will not be revealed.

The police said the four Maoists were involved in the ambush of Border Security Force’s (BSF) commandant JR Khaswan, his second-in-command Rajesh Sharan, inspector Ashok Yadav and assistant sub-inspector Jitendra Kumar, where the four were killed.

Commandant Khaswan and others were returning after carrying out an inspection at Tunnel Camp in Malkangiri district when the red ultras opened indiscriminate firing on them on February 10, 2012.
The BSF squad was targeted within Chitrakonda police limits. The jungles in the region are a Naxal hotbed as it touches the borders of two other states - Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, making it a corridor for Maoists.The incident had taken place just ahead of the panchayat polls in the state.

Malkangiri police launched a probe into ambush of the BSF personnel but later NIA took over investigation and registered a separate case. “The four Naxals are also wanted in different cases registered against them by Odisha Police. We are also making efforts to nab them,” said a senior officer.