Top Maoist leader arrested, explosives seized

Paderu (ASR district): In a major breakthrough, the Chinturu police arrested Kovvasi Somda alias Mukesh, an action team commander/instructor of the banned CPI (Maoist), Konta area committee, in the forest area near Kalleru village of Chinturu mandal. The arrest was made during a joint operation by ASR district police, Odisha police and CRPF.

Giving details of the arrest at a press conference here on Friday, ASR district SP Amit Bardar said Mukesh, 33, hails from Gompad village in Sukma district, Chhattisgarh. He joined the Maoist party in 2014 and rose through the ranks, undergoing military training and playing a pivotal role in coordinating militia activities.

He is involved in multiple violent offenses, including attacks on security forces, murders of suspected informers, arson and planting explosives targeting police personnel. He was also involved in recent attempts to disrupt elections in Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Police seized a cache of explosives, including electrical detonators, hand grenades, slurry sticks, and other materials, from Mukesh at the time of his arrest.

The SP emphasised the need for public cooperation to curb Maoist activities, urging citizens to report any Maoist-related information. Additional SP Dheeraj Kunibilli, ASP (Chinturu) Pankaj Kumar, and senior police officials from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha were present during the announcement. Investigations are ongoing.