VISAKHAPATNAM: In retaliation to the killing of Araku TDP MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma in Dumbriguda mandal on September 23, Greyhounds, in a joint operation with Odisha police, gunned down a woman Maoist, who was involved in the attack, in an alleged exchange of fire with the ultras.
Four other Maoists, including three women, were taken into custody. The alleged encounter took place near Andrapalli GP forest of Ramaguda area in Malkangiri district of Odisha on Friday.
The deceased Maoist was identified as N Meena (40), wife of Maoist area commander Gajarla Ravi alias Uday alias Anand alias Ganesh. Meena was Accused No 21 in the recent Araku killing and she carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh on her head.
Ever since the killing of MLA and former MLA, Greyhounds personnel have been carrying out a joint operation with the Odisha police and extensively combing the AOB area. According to sources, Meena alias Prameela alias Jilani Begum alias Sarada, was a Divisional Committee Member (DCM) of the banned CPI (Maoist). She was one of the top women Maoist leaders in the region. Meena who hailed from Pochannapeta in Warangal district of Telangana, was involved in more than 50 cases, including assaults, murders, destruction of public and private property and procurement of explosives.
Sources said a group of around 15 Maoists, led by Meena, was spotted by the Greyhounds combing party and later an exchange of fire took place between them, in which Meena was gunned down and four others were captured, while the remaining managed to escape into dense forests.
During the operation, the security forces captured four Maoists identified as G Radhika, Jayanthi alias Anjana, Sumala alias Geetha and Rajasekhar Karma. All the three women who hail from Jantri village, were working as Dalam members and Rajasekhar of Andrapalli was a party member. Police recovered a 9mm carbine and some extremist literature from the encounter site.