VISAKHAPATNAM: Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta stated that Andhra Pradesh is set to be free from left wing extremism by March 2026.
During his visit to Rampachodavaram in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Thursday to review the ongoing “Operation Sambhav,” DGP Gupta stated that the operation has been actively carried out across Andhra Pradesh over the past two days, and the police forces have achieved two major encounters during this period.
The DGP urged the remaining Maoist cadre and militia members to surrender to the police. He warned that security forces would neutralize those who do not surrender. He also assured them that all rehabilitation benefits would be provided to help them reintegrate into the mainstream of society.
The DGP further said that the operations followed major exchanges of fire that took place in the Maredumilli area of Rampachodavaram Sub-Division, where the Maoist cadres were neutralized in two separate encounters on 18 and 19 November 2025.
Gupta said, “In the first exchange of fire, Madvi Hidma, along with his associates, were neutralized, and in the second exchange of fire, Tech Shankar, along with his associates, were killed. In total, 13 members were neutralized, and 50 individuals were arrested. A large quantity of weapons and explosives seized.”
CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Devuji not in police custody: DGP
He also recalled that a major exchange took place in June 2025 in which an important Maoist cadre and his two other associates were killed in an exchange of fire.
Responding to reports about the alleged arrest of CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji, DGP Gupta clarified that he was not in police custody.
The first exchange of fire occurred on 18 November 2025, near Kondavada village in Maredumilli Mandal, where six Maoists, including four males and two females, were neutralized.
A second exchange of fire took place on November 19, 2025, around 5:00 AM in the forest area near G.M. Valasa village in Maredumilli mandal, under Maredumilli Police Station limits. Seven Maoists, including four males and three females, were killed in this encounter.
From the first encounter, the police recovered two AK-47 rifles, one pistol, one revolver and one single-bore weapon, along with 28 AK-47 rounds, five pistol rounds and empty shells. Additionally, 375 electrical detonators, 150 non-electrical detonators, 25 metres of fuse wire, one electrical wire bundle, seven kit bags and one laptop were seized.
The second encounter yielded two AK-47 rifles, five AK-47 magazines, five SBBL guns and one .303 rifle, along with 72 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 34 rounds of SBBL ammunition and 24 rounds of .303 ammunition. Besides, another three kilograms of Cordex wire, 18 detonators and kit bags were seized.