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Jayaram Reddy, a senior Maoist leader also known as Chalapati, escaped security forces for decades until a selfie with his wife, Aruna alias Chaitanya Venkat Ravi, cost him his life. He was among 20 Maoists killed in a joint operation by central and state police forces along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border this week.
Chalapati carried a reward of Rs 1 crore and was the mastermind of the February 2008 attack in Odisha's Nayagarh district, in which 13 security personnel lost their lives.
He ensured the Maoists could successfully escape from Nayagarh after robbing the police armoury, a senior officer involved in anti-Maoist operations told the news agency PTI on Wednesday.
He also ensured that police reinforcements could not enter Nayagarh when the attack on the armoury was underway and the Maoists had blocked all roads leading to the town with massive tree trunks, the officer said.
He stayed incognito for years but a selfie with his wife Aruna, a 'deputy commander' of the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), helped security forces identify him. The picture was found in an abandoned smartphone that was recovered in May 2016 following an encounter between Maoists and security forces in Andhra Pradesh.
A bounty of Rs 1 crore was then announced on his head, forcing him to travel with a security detail comprising 8-10 personal guards.
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A resident of Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor -- where Maoist activities have ended now -- Chalapati was a senior member of the central committee of the Maoists, which is the highest decision-making body within the group.
He was mainly active in Chhattisgarh's Bastar but relocated his base a few months ago due to the increasing frequency of encounters in the area. He shifted near the Odisha border, seeking a safer operational zone.
He was considered an expert in military tactics and guerrilla warfare, officials said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has vowed to eradicate Maoists by March 2026, called the encounter "another mighty blow to Naxalism".
"Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SoG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border," he posted on X.
"With our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today," Mr Shah said.
At least 40 Maoists have so far been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh this year.
(With agency inputs)