Maoist Leader L Prabhakar Rao Eliminated in Gadchiroli Operation
Senior Maoist leader L Prabhakar Rao, a prominent figure in the CPI (Maoist) hierarchy in Gadchiroli, was killed on Friday in an operation by security forces along the Maharashtra-Telangana border. Known by aliases such as Ravi, Swamy, and Chander, Rao, aged 53, hailed from Isrojiwadi village in Kamareddy district of Telangana.
Ambush Strategist and Career Path
Sources indicate that Rao spent most of his career as an ambush strategist, operating primarily in Gadchiroli in Maharashtra and Abujmarh in Chhattisgarh. He went underground around 1995 after being active in the Radical Students Union (RSU) for a few months, a common trajectory for many from Telangana. Rao quickly rose through the ranks by leading ambushes against security forces, earning a reputation as a feared operative.
He served as the head of the West Sub-Zonal Bureau of the Gadchiroli Division Committee and commanded the notorious armed unit ‘Company 10’. Additionally, he was associated with the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). Rao is accused of leading dozens of ambushes on security personnel in the Gadchiroli region in recent years, with a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head.
Refusal to Surrender and Recent Context
Until recently, Rao was very close to Maoist ideologue Mallojula Venugopal Rao, who surrendered before the Maharashtra Police last October. Sources reveal that Venugopal Rao had convinced Prabhakar Rao to surrender, but the latter decided against it at the last minute, stating his desire to continue the armed struggle. Officers in anti-Maoist units describe his elimination as a huge success for security forces.
This incident follows a pattern of recent eliminations of senior Maoist leaders. Last December, another top Maoist leader from Telangana, Paka Hanumanthu alias Ganesh alias Chamru, was killed in an encounter in Odisha. In the past year, several senior leaders from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been eliminated in operations by security forces, mainly in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Odisha. Notable names include:
- Former General Secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basvaraj
- Central Committee members Katta Ramachandra Reddy
- Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy
- Gajarla Ravi
- Chalpathi
- Sahdev Soren
- Balkrishna
- Narasimha
- Chalam
Hundreds of cadres from the two Telugu states have also been eliminated or have surrendered, indicating a significant decline in Maoist influence.
Current Status of Remaining Leaders
Another senior Telugu Maoist leader, Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji, also from Telangana and the general secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist), remains on the run and has refused repeated calls to surrender. Surrounded by relentless operations by security forces, those who still remain underground are holding up in small pockets in Gadchiroli, Dandakaranya, and Bastar.
The elimination of L Prabhakar Rao marks a critical blow to the Maoist movement in the region, highlighting the ongoing efforts by security forces to curb left-wing extremism. His decision to reject surrender underscores the persistent challenges in resolving such conflicts through peaceful means.
