Additional Director General of Police (ADGP-Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha addressing a press conference in Vijaywada on the encounter in at Maredumilli in Andhra Pradesh on November 19, 2025.
| Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri
Seven Maoists of the banned CPI (Maoist) Party were shot dead in an exchange of fire (EoF) with the police in Maredumilli forests of Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district early Wednesday (November 19, 2025). This was the second encounter in the last 24 hours in the forests near G.M. Valasa of the same district.
Top Maoist leader Metturi Joga Rao alias Tech Shankar, who was the CPI (Maoist) in-chargeCentral Committee Member of Andhra Odisha Border (AOB), was among those slain, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP-Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha said.
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“The encounter took place around 7 a.m. and firing is continuing when the reports last came in. Of the total, three women and four male Naxalites were killed in the EoF on Wednesday (November 19),” Mr. Laddha at a press conference in Vijaywada.
A few of the Maoists, who managed to escape from the police in yesterday’s EoF, were killed in today’s firing, the intelligence chief added.
“CPI (Maoist) in-charge Central Committee Member of Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) Metturi Joga Rao alias Tech Shankar, who was specialised in technical operations in the banned outfit, was among those killed in the encounter. Efforts are on to identify the remaining deceased,” Mr. Laddha said.
On Tuesday (November 18), another top commander Madvi Hidma and his wife, Madakam Raje, were among six killed in a similar encounter. Hidma was the Central Committee Member and South Bastar Battalion Commandant of the banned CPI (Maoist), while his wife was the Chhattisgarh State Zonal Committee Member.
Published – November 19, 2025 11:06 am IST
