In a significant blow to the Communist Party of India (Maoist), Gajarla Ravi, a central committee member, was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Maredumilli forests of Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitharama Raju district on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. This incident marks a tragic end to Ravi's decades-long involvement with the Naxal movement and highlights the deep-rooted connections his family had with the insurgency.

The operation, conducted by the anti-Naxalite unit Greyhounds, resulted in the deaths of three Maoists, including Ravi, also known as Uday or Ganesh, and Aruna, the wife of deceased senior Maoist leader Chalapati alias Appa Rao. The encounter occurred following intelligence tip-offs that suggested Maoist presence in the area, prompting a combing operation.

Gajarla Ravi hailed from Velishala village in the Jayashankar Bhupalpally district of Telangana. Reports indicate that Ravi joined the People's War Group (PWG) in the early 1990s and quickly ascended through the ranks to become a key member of the CPI (Maoist). He held important positions, including secretary of the PWG's Karimnagar-Khammam-Warangal (KKW) division in the mid-1990s, before transitioning to the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) region.

Adding to the family's history with the Naxalite movement, two of Ravi's brothers were also involved. Gajerla Saraiah, known as Azad, was a key Maoist leader from north Telangana but was killed in an encounter with police in 2008. Another brother, Gajerla Ashok, also known as Aithu, was active in Chhattisgarh's south Bastar region before surrendering to the police in 2015. Another brother, Rajaiah, died due to illness while underground. Of the five Gajarla brothers, four had joined the Maoist movement. This history underscores the Gajarla family's deep and tragic entanglement with the Maoist movement.

Ravi's involvement in the Maoist movement extended to participating in peace talks with the then-Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh in 2004. However, these talks ultimately failed to achieve a lasting resolution. At the time of his death, Ravi was on the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) most wanted list and was considered a top military strategist. He also served as the secretary of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC).

The news of Ravi's death has reportedly plunged his native village into grief. His death, along with that of Aruna, is expected to deepen the leadership crisis within the Maoist ranks, particularly in the AOB region. Security forces believe that these losses will significantly weaken the Maoist presence in the Andhra-Odisha-Chhattisgarh region.

In response to the ongoing anti-Maoist operations, the CPI (Maoist) has called for a bandh on June 20 in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Maoist spokesperson, Jagan, stated that over 550 Maoists, including senior leaders, have been killed as part of "Operation Kagar" since January of the previous year. The CPI (Maoist) also claims that the central government aims to eliminate Maoists by March 2026. Security has been tightened in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in anticipation of potential unrest.