28 yrs a Red rebel, Usendi surrenders due to 'differences' with Maoists

Government asks other maoists and rebels to follow his example

GN Bureau | January 9, 2014




There are more than 275 underground cadre of Maoists actively involved in several states out of which 75 are in Andhra Pradesh (AP). The DGP of the state, Prasad Rao appealed to these cadres to surrender and avail the government rehabilitation package.

AP police will be giving Rs 20 lakhs to key CPI (Maoist) leader and spokesperson of Dandakaryana Special Zonal Committee, Gumudavelli Venkatakrishna Prasad alias Gudsa Usendi who surrendered two  days back along with his wife.

After 28 years of being actively involved in naxal activites Gudsa came out of the underground. "I have surrendered due to health problems and some ideological issues with the party,” he told media after he was produced in front of journalists today in DGP office in Hyderabad.

To a question he said the party never allows anyone to surrender but he informed them about his decision. "I have approached police through my relatives," Gudsa said. He refused to give any more details about the infighting in maoists cadre. "You can think whatever you want," he told the media persons when asked about naxalites falling flat.

Read More: Red fort crumbling? 'Invisible' Maoist leader Usendi surrenders

DGP while producing Gudsa Usendi in front of media said that other under ground cadres should come ahead and surrender in the lines of Usendi and avail the government facilities. DGP further said that Usendi was among the seven People’s War Group (PWG) Naxalites who were arrested and released after the famous Gurtedu kidnap incident in late 80s. The Gurtedu incident had even attracted the attention of the international media because the red rebels had kidnapped seven IAS officers, including the then principal secretary of Andhra Pradesh SR Sankaran. The incident took place in the forest tracts of East Godavari on December 27, 1987, when a group of around 25 government officials were returning in a convoy of five vehicles after participating in a review programme held in the forest area.

Usendi left his home in Warangal after graduation when he was 20 years old and joined the PWG. He went underground and spent the last three decades in the forests of Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, and is well-known for his ingenious methods of delivering messages to media and political leaders: emails from ghost IP addresses, notes stuck on doors and propaganda CDs in MLAs chambers apart from many more.

Usendi worked for around three decades in Chhattisgarh, and chose to surrender before the Andhra Pradesh Police which offers better incentives and rehabilitation policy to insurgents who surrender. It also gives them the cash reward on their heads. Usendi had a reward of Rs 20 lakh for information leading to his arrest. Usendi was also allegedly involved in the killing of 29 policemen, including SP Vinod Kumar Choubey, in an ambush in Rajnandgaon in 2009.

As Dandakaranya spokesman, Usendi's last major statement was days after the killing of top Congress leaders, attributing the attack to the Dandakaranya committee, the most powerful zonal wing of the Maoists.

His strongly-worded statement had congratulated the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army for the successful attack, and justified the killing of Mahendra Karma, Nand Kumar Patel and V C Shukla, while regretting the killing of innocent people and some junior level Congress activists.

Comments

 

Other News

Ethanol blending: The two sides of a story

India`s crude oil consumption is estimated to be around 88.5% imported from abroad. This one single figure is also responsible for why ethanol has become both an economic strategy and fuel policy at the same time. In an economy like India, which depends so heavily on foreign oil, any increase in internat

Food inflation: Not a macroeconomic statistic but a developmental indicator

India`s retail inflation shows a reassuring picture at first glance. According to the latest data, Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation edged up to 4.38% in June 2026 from 3.93% in May 2026, but continued to remain within the Reserve Bank of India`s (RBI) target band of 4% (+/- 2%). However, beneath this

Skin in the game or masterful market timing?

When a company founder opens their personal chequebook to buy shares in their own business, stock markets usually applaud. To the average retail investor, it feels like the ultimate vote of confidence, a sign that the people running the show have real skin in the game and believe brighter days are ahead.

India’s freedom struggle was shaped by wider Asian political thought

As we mark 80th anniversary of independence, ‘Asianism and the Fall of Empire’ (HarperCollins India) by historian Mithi Mukherjee offers a new perspective on Ind

What is colonialism? A relook at modern history

The Chromatic World Order: The Fiction That Rules Our World  By Sajid Mohamed Aakar Books  

Monsoon session of parliament adjourns sine die

The Monsoon Session, 2026 of Parliament which commenced on July 20 was adjourned sine die on Thursday. The session provided 19 sittings spread over a period of 25 days.   During the session 11 Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha and 2 Bills were introduced in Rajya Sabha. 12 B

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter