The Bastar Naxal organisation has suffered a major setback in the last 15 days. Between May 27 and June 11, four big hardcore leaders of Naxalites have died. Of these, three died of the disease, while one has been killed in a police encounter.

On June 13, a press release was issued by suspected Naxalites, in which the Telangana State Committee member, Katti Mohan alias Prakash alias Damu Dada, died of a heart attack. The police had placed a reward of Rs 8 lakh on Katti Mohan, who was active in Chhattisgarh and Telangana. It is being told that Katti Mohan Rao was suffering from serious diseases for a long time. He died of a heart attack on June 10 at around 11:30 in the morning.

On June 11, the police said that there was an encounter with Naxalites in the forests of the Jhanj Reserve Forest at the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. The police claim that a body was recovered after this encounter, which was identified as DVCM Rabindra, Balangir Platoon Commander of Naxalites. An AK47 was also recovered from the encounter site.

The Telangana Police had issued a press release on June 6 claiming that DVCM Sobharay, the communication in charge of the Dandakaranya Sub Zonal Committee (DKSZC) operating in Bastar, has died of corona infection. After he got infected with Corona, Shobharay was being secretly treated by Naxalites in Warangal. During this he was arrested, later he died.

Risk of Covid-19 Infection

Earlier on May 27, a press release was issued by the Bhadradri Kothagudem Police of Telangana. They claimed that Kursam Gangaiah alias Ayatu, the technical team commander of DKSZC of Naxalites operating in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, was brought to Bhadradi Kothagudem four days ago for the treatment of Corona, where he had died. In a press release quoting Bhadradri Kothagudem SP Sunil Dutt, it was claimed that during checking, three people, including a woman, were arrested with explosives in a car, during interrogation they revealed Ayatu’s death. All three are Naxalites. The trio gave their names as Sodhi Sitaiya, Kunja Jougaiya Chintur from Andhra Pradesh and Savlam Bujji from Chhattisgarh.

They had brought Ayatu for treatment. The Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur SP Kamlochan Kashyap claimed that the three arrested are members of battalion number-1 headed by Hidma.

Bastar IGP Sundar Raj urged the Maoists to surrender and get proper treatment. He said, “Naxalites have been died due to health complications in the South Bastar region. Fellow Maoists are getting treatment for their higher cadre in which Maoists died of illness and are sparring with smaller cadres and misleading them. We still appeal to them to come forward and surrender. Police will provide treatment,” he said.