Top Maoist leader Chalapathi killed by Indian security forces. Who was he?

Ramachandra Reddy, popularly known as Chalapathi, was a top Maoist leader who was recently killed by Indian security forces during a gunfight at the Chattisgarh-Odisha border.

Thirteen other Maoists were killed in the gunfight on Tuesday (January 21). Speaking to the news agency ANI, the Chattisgarh Police said that large quantities of weapons, including automatic rifles, were recovered.

Chalapathi stayed in the shadows and was careful in his movements. So who was this Maoist leader, and what led to his encounter?

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Who was Chalapathi?

Citing officials, a report by the news agency PTI said that Chalapathi hails from Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district, a region known for Maoist activities in the past.

He was in his mid-60s and had been living in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district for the past few years. Though being from Andhra Pradesh, Chalapathi was mainly active in Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

In his early years, Chalapathi joined the banned People's War Group, which was responsible for wreaking havoc in India's southern states.

Despite not going to school, Chalapathi was a voracious reader, fluent in Telugu, Hindi, English, and Odia. Officials said that he was considered an expert in military tactics and guerrilla warfare.

After the CPI (Maoist) was formed in 2004 with the merger of multiple underground communist groups, including the PWG, Chalapathi started moving up the ranks and became a member of the outfit's central committee, officials said.

He led the attack in Odisha's Nayagarh district in 2008, in which 13 security personnel were killed. He also set up Maoist operations in the state's Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts, expanding his network.

How a selfie led to Chalapathi's identification

Though known to be always under the radar, a selfie of Chalapathi with his wife Aruna led to his identification, and authorities announced a bounty of $115,708 (Rs 1 crore) on his head.

The selfie of Chalapathi and Aruna was found in an abandoned smartphone that was recovered in May 2016 following a gunfight between Maoists and security forces in Chhattisgarh.

(With inputs from agencies)