Wife of slain Maoist linked to 2003 attack on Naidu killed in police encounter

Three Maoists -- Venkata Ravi Lakshmi Chaitanya (Aruna), Gajarla Ravi (Uday), and Anju-- were killed in an exchange of fire with Andhra Pradesh police at Kintukuru village in Alluri Seetharama Raju district. The security forces confiscated three AK-47 assualt rifles, kit bags, maoist literature, olive green uniforms, empty rounds, and cash 

metro india news  I Rampachodavaram

Venkata Ravi Lakshmi Chaitanya, wife of slain Maoist Chalapathi, a key accused in the 2003 attack on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, was among the three Maoists killed in an exchange of fire with police, an official said.

On Wednesday, three Maoists -- Venkata Ravi Lakshmi Chaitanya (Aruna), Gajarla Ravi (Uday), and Anju-- were killed in an exchange of fire with Andhra Pradesh police at Kintukuru village in Alluri Seetharama Raju district. She (Aruna) was a high-ranking Maoist with over 150 cases and Rs 20 lakh bounty. Her death is a significant blow to the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) structure (of the Maoists)," Rampachodavaram DSP GS Prasanth.

According to police, Aruna played a crucial role in the fatal attacks on former TDP MLAs K Sarveswara Rao and S Soma in 2018 and multiple Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) blasts.Aruna hails from Karaka Vanipalem village in Visakhapatnam district's Pendurthi mandal.Her brother Ajath was killed in a previous encounter with police in Chittoor district, said the DSP.

Similarly, Gajarla Ravi (Uday)--Rs 25 lakh reward announced on his head--who had over 150 cases booked against him, was identified as an AOB Special Zonal Committee member hailing from Velishala village in Chityala mandal of Bhupalpally district in Telangana.The third Maoist was Anju had 22 cases and a bounty of Rs 1 lakh. Her exact role within the AOB network is under police investigation.

"Maoists suddenly opened fire against Andhra Pradesh police during a combing operation. In retaliation, police fired in self-defence, resulting in the deaths of two female and one male Maoists," said Alluri Sitharamaraju district superintendent of police (SP) Amit Bardar, addressing a press conference in Vizag today.The trio had recently escaped encounters in Y Ramavaram and Mampa Police Station limits.The exchange of fire against the Maoists was carried out by the Greyhounds unit of the southern state's police department on prior intelligence inputs.

According to Prashant, all three Maoists were killed in an early morning operation in Rampachodavaram forest on Wednesday and police believe more cadres may have escaped into the dense jungle.The security forces confiscated three AK-47 assualt rifles, kit bags, maoist literature, olive green uniforms, empty rounds, and cash.Meanwhile, search operations have been intensified across agency regions.