A native of Pragadavaram in Chintalapudi mandal of Eluru district, Sudhakar had been active in the Maoist movement for over 40 years and carried a bounty of ₹1 crore on his head.
Tentu Lakshmi Narasimhachalam
Raipur: In a major blow to the banned CPI (Maoist), 66-year-old Central Committee member Tentu Lakshmi Narasimha Chalam alias Sudhakar was killed in an alleged encounter in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday. The incident occurred in the National Park area of Bijapur, weeks after the death of Central Committee secretary Nambala Kesava Rao alias Basavaraju.
A native of Pragadavaram village in Chintalapudi mandal of Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh, Sudhakar was a key figure in Maoist ranks and carried a bounty of Rs 40 lakh. He had previously participated in peace talks with the Andhra Pradesh government in 2004 in the undivided state.
However, civil liberties activists alleged that Sudhakar was detained by security forces in Chhattisgarh and later killed in Bijapur forest, branding it a staged encounter. Sources said the security forces had intensified combing operations in search of Central Committee member Madvi Hidma, accused in over 26 attacks on security forces. Following intelligence inputs, they launched a search operation and reportedly killed Sudhakar on Thursday.
Officials claim Sudhakar was involved in strategic planning alongside Basava Raju. His death marks another high-level loss for the Maoists in a short span. Civil rights groups, however, questioned the authenticity of the encounter. They argued that Maoists usually move in groups and the claim that only Sudhakar was killed raised doubts. They further alleged that the BJP-led NDA government was using such operations to eliminate resistance and clear the way for handing over forest resources to multinational corporations.
Officials claim Sudhakar was involved in strategic planning alongside Basava Raju. His death marks another high-level loss for the Maoists in a short span. Civil rights groups, however, questioned the authenticity of the encounter. They argued that Maoists usually move in groups and the claim that only Sudhakar was killed raised doubts. They further alleged that the BJP-led NDA government was using such operations to eliminate resistance and clear the way for handing over forest resources to multinational corporations.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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