Top Maoist leader L Prabhakar Rao killed in encounter
L Prabhakar Rao, a longtime Maoist leader and strategist, was killed on Friday in an operation by security forces near the Maharashtra-Telangana border.
Originally from Telangana, he'd been underground since 1995 and decided against surrendering when Venugopal Rao tried to convince him.
His decision to keep fighting made him one of the most wanted figures in the movement.
Rao was a veteran Maoist leader with decades of experience
Rao led major operations for CPI (Maoist) in Gadchiroli and Abujmarh, heading 'Company 10' and playing a big role in planning attacks against security forces—he even had a ₹25 lakh bounty on his head.
His death is seen as a significant blow to the Maoists, who have recently lost several top leaders across Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha as security crackdowns continue.