Top Naxal Papi Reddy plans to give up???

Tuesday January 29 2008 08:15 IST

WARANGAL: CPI (Maoist) Central committee member and Bihar State in-charge, Lanka Venkata Papi Reddy alias Ranganna alias Lachanna, is planning to surrender to the police due to ill health, it is learnt.

The 47-year-old top Naxal leader, most wanted in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand, is carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. The police department has recommended to the State Government to raise the reward amount to Rs 12 lakh.

Papi Reddy hails from the remote village of Takkellapadu in Atmakur mandal of Warangal district.

He went underground in 1980 and worked for the party in various capacities including member of the district committee, secretary of Mulug area committee, member of North Telangana Forest Division Committee (NTFDC) and squad commander of Warangal district committee up to 1990.

Then he moved to Bastar forest and strengthened the party there. He worked as secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) for a long time before the present secretary Kosa.

He has been working as the Central committee member of the party for the one decade. After the state-sponsored tribal movement Salwa Judum came into existence in Bastar region three years ago, the Maoist party strategically shifted him to Bihar and made him in-charge of the State party unit.

About 45 cases were registered against him in four states. Papi Reddy married a tribal woman in Bastar 15 years ago. He has a 13-year-old daughter, Lanka Tejasri, who is studying Class VIII in a school at Hanamkonda in Warangal district.

Papi Reddy kept his daughter in the care of his mother Lakshmikanthamma, who lives in his native village Takkellapadu. She discontinued her studies after Class VI due to financial constraints.

Learning about Tejasri's plight at a meeting with the parents, children and other relatives of Naxalites, Warangal Superintendent of Police Soumya Mishra adopted her and made arrangements for her studies. The SP is looking after her for the past 15 months.