Naxal leader carrying cash reward of Rs 40 lakh dies of COVID in Telangana

 

 

 

 

In another setback to Naxal-movement, a senior Maoist-leader reportedly died of infectious COVID-19 in neighbouring Telangana on June 21. “Reliable sources confirm the death of CPI Maoist’s central committee member Haribhusan (A) Yapa Narayana, aged around 52 year, due to CoVID infection on June 21. The Naxal leader was carrying a cash reward of Rs 40 lakh on his head. Telangana State Committee Secretary Haribhusan was camping along Minaguram-Bhattigudam-Jabagatta forest along South Bijapur-Sukma inter-district border region during his illness,” said Bastar Range Inspector General of Police (IG) Sundarraj P. IG further informed that contrary to the claims of Maoist leaders, the COVID situations in Naxal camps are very alarming.

 

Over 16 senior and middle-level Naxal cadres have died in the last couple of months due to the infectious disease. Many cadres are also infected with COVID and are desperate for treatment. Since Naxal camps are severely infected with COVID positive cadres, Sundarraj has made an appeal to the local villagers to keep themselves away from the activities of CPI Maoist cadres. He also appealed to the Maoist cadres to shun violence and surrender before the state authorities to avail the medical facilities. During the last few days, Bastar Police was continuously receiving information from certain quarters that few senior Maoist cadres, including that of Telangana State Committee Secretary Haribhusan is seriously ill due to corona infection, said the IG, adding that Haribhusan died of COVID on June 21. Haribhusan, familiar with the name as Lakmu Dada in Usur-Poojarikanker-Pamed area along Chhattisgarh-Telanagana inter-state border area, is involved in over 22 cases in Chhattisgarh, said IG Sundarraj. It is worth mentioning that in December 2019, Central Committee Member and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee Secretary Ramamna died in South Bastar region due to illness.

 

Besides, two senior DKZSC members Ganga and Sobhroi also died of COVID infection during the last couple of weeks. It may be recalled that recently police officials have revealed that three ultras carrying cash rewards died of COVID-19 infection and food poisoning in Chhattisgarh while five members of DVCM are seriously ill. Some cadres of banned organisations died of COVID-19 during the first wave while several contracted infection during the second wave of Coronavirus. The final rites of deceased ultras were performed in forest areas of Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Hardcore naxal cadres, creating terror in insurgency-hit Bastar region and carrying cash reward of Rs 8 lakh each, that include Maoist commander Vinod, Rajesh, Soni, Akash, Kranti and others were suffering from COVID-19 and food poisoning. Notably, sometime back, a hardcore naxal Vikas had written a letter to woman naxal Sujata informing about the deaths of seven cadres.

 

The letter was recently recovered by police after an encounter with ultras in insurgency-hit Bijapur. It may be recalled that Telangana Police on June 1 arrested a senior cadre of DKSZC identified as Sobroi alias Gaddam Madhukar, who was travelling from South Bijapur to Warangal for COVID-19 treatment. During interrogation, he revealed that several senior cadres have contracted infectious COVID-19 and some of them died of the disease.