RAJANNA-SIRCILLA : The murder of former Maoist leader Ballepu Narsaiah, alias Siddanna, has created a sensation in Rajanna-Sircilla district. Siddanna, a former deputy dalam commander of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), was killed by a youth, Santosh, in the Agraharam hillocks on the outskirts of Vemulawada on Thursday evening. Immediately after the incident, Santosh surrendered before Jagtial police.
Siddanna, 58, belonged to Gandilachchupeta village in Tangallapalli mandal and had been associated with the Maoist movement since 1997. In a recent YouTube interview, he confessed to killing a man from Jagtial on party orders. The video reportedly angered Santosh, who claimed the slain man was his father.
Police said Santosh had gradually befriended Siddanna by praising his interviews and showing affection, eventually gaining his trust. On Thursday, he allegedly took Siddanna to the Agraharam hillocks and killed him by throwing heavy stones at him. After committing the murder, he surrendered and revealed the details to the police.
Siddanna is survived by two wives, Pochavva and Ellavva, and three children — Ashok, Naresh and Padma. His family rushed to Vemulawada upon learning of the killing. Vemulawada Town Police, led by B Veer Prasad, inspected the crime scene and registered a case. Jagtial police later shifted Santosh to Vemulawada police station. Investigators are probing whether he acted alone.
Siddanna had participated in several covert killings executed by the People’s War Party. In 2003, under orders from district secretary Azad alias Gajarla Sarayya, nine dalam members were killed on charges of being covert police informers, six in Konaraopet mandal and three near Manala. Siddanna admitted in his recent interview that the killings haunted him.
He survived the Maddimalla encounter in Veernapalli mandal before surrendering in 2004. Since then, he had been living in his native village and working as a BRS party activist.