VISAKHAPATNAM: Vanthala Balakrishna Naidu alias Vivek, a B.Tech graduate in Information Technology, who joined the Maoist movement in 2017, surrendered before the Superintendent of Police (Visakha Rural) Rahul Dev Sharma here in Vizag city on Tuesday. Balakrishna Naidu had completed his B.Tech in Information Technology from a private engineering college in Hyderabad in 2012, worked in the pharmaceutical sector for a few years and finally joined the outfit in 2017 after he was motivated by his relative.
The 28-year-old techie, a native of G. Madugula area in Vizag Agency, rose to Area Committee Member of Pedabayalu Area Committee of the outfit in AoB and was carrying a cash reward of '4 lakh on his head at the time of his surrender. Speaking to newsmen here in Vizag on Tuesday, Balakrishna Naidu said that he had joined the Maoist movement with the impression that Maoists’ ideology would change the lifestyle of the backward tribals in the region. He said he was disillusioned with the Maoist movement and added that the ideology was not relevant today.
He further said that the ultras do not allow the government to take up development work by creating hurdles. “Being a tribal, I say that development is an eye-wash in most of the remote areas in Vizag Agency. I was motivated by my brother-in-law Toudu Babu, a Maoist and my childhood friend Chikuda Chinna Rao alias Sudheer, who heads the Korukonda dalam of the Left Wing Extremists. As I was an active member of SFI during my college days, I didn't hesitate to join the red-rebel’s group. But, my journey in the outfit ended within a short period,” said Balakrishna Naidu.
Vizag Rural Police chief Rahul Dev Sharma said that post Ramaguda exchange of fire in 2016, in which 30 Maoists were gunned down by the AP Greyhounds in one single EoF (Exchange of Fire), the ultras had been looking to recruit young blood in the group and they found Balakrishna as an ideal candidate because of his Leftist leanings.
The police said that as Naidu was a B.Tech, the Moists saw a lot of prospect in him and within four months of Naidu's journey, he was elevated to the post of ACM and he graduated from wielding a 303 Lee Enfield rifle to SLR (self-loading rifle). Naidu had participated in two encounters at Pepperameta and Tikarpada and he was also close to Central Committee Member Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna alias RK and AOBSZC (Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee) leader Gajarla Ravi alias Uday.
