Maoist top gun and Dandakaranya special zonal committee (DKSZC) official spokesperson Gummudavelli Venkata Krishna Prasad alias Gudsa Usendi was having serious differences with the party leadership over the last one or two years.
“Usendi opposed the destruction of school buildings, power lines, roads and towers and also killing of civilians after branding them police informers,” said Director-General of Police Prasad Rao. “Besides, he and his wife are not in good health.” The Andhra Pradesh Police on Thursday produced him at the police headquarters. Usendi surrendered along with his wife Santoshi Markam two days ago. The surrender was reportedly facilitated by a Congress leader from Warangal district, Usendi’s hometown.
“He was arrested in connection with the Visakhapatnam Arms case of 1987 but released the same year in exchange for seven IAS officers kidnapped by the PWG,” said Rao. “Senior Maoists like Warkad Chandramouli and Randev, who were released then, are dead now. There are no fresh or serious cases against him in Andhra Pradesh and we are not aware of the cases against him in other states.” Rao said Usendi would get a compensation of Rs 20 lakh from the state government for his rehabilitation.
Asked why Usendi chose to surrender to the Andhra Pradesh Police, the DGP said: “It might be because of the surrender and rehabilitation policy of the state government and also because of the fact that he belonged to Andhra Pradesh. In the last three years, nearly 590 Maoist cadres have surrendered.”
According to police records, Usendi was born in 1968. After discontinuing studies, he joined the People’s War Group in 1985. Santoshi Markam is from Kopra village in the Kondagoan district of Chhattisgarh.
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