Top-level woman Maoist leader arrested in Puttaparthi

ANANTAPUR: In a major breakthrough, Satyasai district police arrested Muruvapalli Raji alias Saraswathi, district committee member of Western Ghats Special Zone of outlawed CPI Maoist at Mamillakunta cross in Puttaparthi mandal of Satyasai district on Friday.

Muruvapalli Raji, a native of Sunnamvaripalli village in Tanakallu mandal of Satyasai district, had been residing at Ayyappa Nagar in K.R. Puram of north Bangalore. Under nom de guerre Saraswathi, the 45-year-old had been carrying out Maoist activities in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra states.

She is believed to be the chief architect of many operations conducted by Maoists in tri-junction areas of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, besides Andhra Pradesh, superintendent of police Madhava Reddy said.

Raji joined the Radical Youth Front in 1999 after being attracted by the ideology of Maoist leader S.A. Ravoof of Kutagulla village in Kadiri mandal of Satyasai district. Since then, she has been an active member of Maoist activities. She has since grown into a leader and a key member of the party.

Raji married Sanjay Deepak Rao, a member of the central committee of Maoists, and in charge of the Western Ghats Special Zonal Committee in 2007. She continued her activities in several states under the pseudonyms of Saraswathi, Madhavi, Pallavi, Preethi, Sangeetha, and Kamala in different states.

On a tip-off, Satyasai DSP Vasudevan, inspectors N. Ravindranath and Ragiri Ramaiah, and their team nabbed the Maoist leader at Mamillakunta cross, about 10 km from Puttaparthi headquarters. They seized ₹20,000 cash and 14 items, including leaflets of revolutionary literature from her procession. She has been produced before the court, which has sent her to judicial custody.

SP Madhava Reddy has called on Maoists, who are still at large, to surrender and join the mainstream of life. He assured that the government will support them in leading a safe and happy life with their families.