Surrendered Maoist behind Naidu attack

A top rebel leader and secretary of the state committee of CPI,who surrendered on Sunday...

A top rebel leader and secretary of the state committee of CPIMaoist,who surrendered on Sunday,had planned the October 2003 landmine blast to kill then chief minister Chandrababu Naidu,the police said.

Konakuri Ilaiah alias Sambasivudu has 80 cases against him and carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head.

The Maoist leader chose to lay down arms owing to poor health and lack of money for treatment,the police said.

Sambasivudu is also said to have planned the ambush on the Greyhounds force in Balimela reservoir bordering Orissa in June 2008 in which 38 commandos were killed. He is the main accused in the murder of Congress MLA Narsi Reddy in 2005 and is wanted in at least a dozen attacks on police stations and police officers.

Home Minister K Jana Reddy on Monday confirmed that the CPIMaoist secretary had surrendered.

Special Investigation Bureau officers,however,werent enthused over the surrender. In recent years,Sambasivudu wasnt much involved in planning and executing Maoist operations,they said. Sambasivudus accomplice G Ravi also surrendered before the police along with him. SIB officials also said the Maoist leader was not on good terms with his colleagues in the CPIMaoist for the past several years and the differences had intensified recently.

Sambasivudu,hailing from the Nalgonda district of Telangana,started off as an area leader in Alair in the same district in 1993 and rose through the ranks. He became the topmost leader of the extremist organisation in 2006 following the killing of their leader,Madhav,in an alleged encounter.

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Sambasivudu has held several posts like commander,Mahabubnagar district committee secretary and north Telangana division secretary before becoming state secretary. He,however,went underground some time in 1996. Investigations into the 2003 attack on the convoy of Chandrababu Naidu threw up his name. He is also allegedly involved in the Balimela reservoir massacre of Greyhounds, a police officer said.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More