Move to neutralise Maoists’ top leadership

A file photograph shows a Maoist training drill

Manan Kumar
First Published : 25 Sep 2009 02:49:00 AM IST

RAIPUR: The recent arrest of CPI (Maoist) politburo member Kobad Ghandy in New Delhi wasn’t any fluke. It matured after a long hunt by the security forces, aided by the Andhra Pradesh police special cell on Naxals, and key support by others, including the Intelligence Bureau.Effecting a course correction in its strategy against the Naxals, besides taking them on in jungles, the Union Government has decided to pluck out the top leadership to render the Maoists rudderless and a disjointed lot. Yet it has a long way to go _ as even after neutralising or arresting eight top leaders and 22 central committee members in recent years,the politburo still remains at large.After Kobad Ghandy, agencies are on hot trail of nine PB members _ Ganpati alias Mupalla Laxman Rao, Mallojula Koteshwar Rao alias Prahlad, Prashant Bose alias Kishan Da, Nambala Keshav Rao aloas Gangana, Cherkuri Rajkumar alias Uday, Mullojula Venugopal alias Vivek, Rajesh Da, Balraj alias Arvind and Katakam Sudarshan alias Anand.

“To get the top leadership is our priority. They may not be directly involved in any killings but they are the ones who are actually responsible for the wide scale carnage and violence,” Chhattisgarh DGP Vishwaranjan told Express.The relentless tracking of the top Maoist leadership has helped security agencies accumulate critical information, including photographs, description and even their possible places of movement.Ganpati, 50, is 5 ft 8 inches in height, dusky, wears power glasses, has curly dyed hair, sometimes keeps a thin moustache. Kishan Da, currently engaged in briefing media at Lalgarh is in early 60s, thin, fair, generally sporting French cut beard, wears thick framed glasses, has false teeth and crooked jaw and is a chain smoker of rolled cigarettes.“We know that the top leadership generally stays in big cities and metropolises as it is easier to maintain anonymity there. Moreover, they can plan deal with more players in cities crucial for their movement. They move to jungles only when there is a big cadre meeting,” said a seasoned Naxal tracker. IE