Kishenji may have been betrayed by his men

In what could be described as a huge blow to the outlawed CPI (Maoist), their senior leader and mouthpiece Mallojula Koteshvar Rao alias Kishenji is believed to be killed in Jamboni’s Burisole area of West Midnapore district of West Bengal.

“Most likely it’s him (Kishenji), our forces were tailing him continuously. But we have told our men to be 100 % sure. We’ve rushed latest pictures of Kishenji to the spot for verification,” said union home secretary RK Singh in Delhi.

Sources in the security establishment claimed the 59-year-old was betrayed by cadres of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army of the CPI (Maoist) who gave away his whereabouts to the security forces.

Reports reaching from West Midnapore, quoting Gangeswar Singh, IG Western Range, confirmed Kishenji was killed after a 30-minute-gunfight during a joint operation of state police and CoBRA (special anti-Maoist force of Central Reserve Police Force) that were regularly tailing him.

Suchitra Mahato, a senior state level functionary of the CPI (Maoist), was also injured seriously in the gunfight but police were yet to find her.

“Night lights, cameras were put on in the entire area, leaving nothing to chances,” a top official said. Sources told DNA that fearing backlash, huge number of security and intelligence personnel have been deployed in and around the area. A red alert has also been issued.

Kishenji was a senior member of the politburo and in-charge of Bengal region (including Bihar and Jharkhand) of CPI (Maoist). To morph identity he was known by several aliases such as Prahlad, Murli, Ramji, Shridhar, Vimal, Pradeep and Jayant Da. In the past, he was also the in-charge of Delhi region.

During the regime of CPM in West Bengal, he led several struggles and was also believed to be one of the architects of Singur and Nandigram stand offs against the government and also said to behind derailment of Jnaneshwari express.

He was also one of the key persons responsible for the merger of People’s War Group  with Maoist Communist Centre and Party Unity that resulted in the formation of a formidable CPI (Maoist).

Till late last year, Kishenji was operating from the forested areas of Jhargram, Junglemahal and Saranada in Jharkhand but decisive action by the security forces forced him to go into hiding and once in an encounter he was even hit in the leg and forced into retirement,” said senior home ministry sources.

Believed to be carrying an AK-47, Kishenji was wanted by Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh governments which had put a reward of Rs12 lakh and Rs7 lakh respectively on him. He hailed from Peddapally in Karim Nagar district of Andhra Pradesh and was known to be sharp student before turning a Maoist.

The paramilitary forces which conducted the raid and operation also recovered one AK-47 from the spot. During the battle he was with his trusted lieutenants, including Suchitra Mahato.  A former police officer, Rajat Mazumdar said, “The operation proves how successful administration has been in isolating Maoist from local men, like who would supply food and other essential things.”