'VIP Maoist' to Prabhakaran-like looks, why everyone is relieved to see GP Reddy's back
"He is a VIP among the Maoist leaders whom we are chasing in Bastar," said an Indian Police Officer (IPS) officer posted in the troubled central portion of Chhattisgarh. The person being referred to was GP Reddy (53) alias Arjun alias Ravinder, a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), the body which administers what the Maoists term as the 'liberated area' of Dandakaranya, a region largely co-located with Chhattisgarh's Bastar. In Hyderabad, on Friday afternoon, following days of interrogation, the Andhra Pradesh police made public the surrender of Reddy and his wife Sumitra. Informed sources indicated that the surrender was in the pipeline for many days following which Reddy, a bachelor degree holder, and Sumitra trekked from Bastar to reach Andhra Pradesh. While Reddy carried a reward of Rs 20 lakh on his head, his wife was described as a 'hardcore Maoist' though the reward amount was not immediately known. For those having to deal