Top Naxal Leader in Maharashtra Dead

Srinivasan, a central committee member of CPI (Maoist), who was arrested in 2007 in Maharashtra.

NAGPUR: A top leader of the CPI(Maoist), Sridhar Srinivasan alias Vishnu, died on August 18 following a massive heart attack, the banned outfit has announced.

Srinivasan, a central committee member of CPI (Maoist), who was arrested in 2007 in Maharashtra and was released from jail in August 13, 2013, died while being with his family, CPI(Maoist) spokesperson Abhay said in a statement.

The banned outfit recalled how in 1978-79, as a young student with Elphinstone College in Mumbai, "Comrade Sridhar got influenced with revolutionary politics and gave up his studies to work for the oppressed masses of the country. And for the next 35 years, he continued with undaunting spirit and determination to serve the people".

In August 2007, following his arrest, Sridhar "faced days of interrogation, mental torture but he never bent before" the authorities. The State filed more than 60 cases and even managed to get a conviction of six and half years in a fabricated case," it said.