HYDERABAD, 3 April 2005 — A Maoist leader and his wife were killed in an encounter with the police yesterday in Mahbubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh. Giving details of the incident, Mahbubnagar superintendent of police Vikram Singh Mann identified the slain Maoists as Gajji Srisailam alias Santosh, CPI (Maoist) Mahbubnagar district committee member and Nallamala forest area secretary, and his wife and Maoist activist Pushpa alias Venkatamma. The SP said that following the attack by a group of armed Maoists on Achampet town police station, in which two policemen were killed and another policeman critically injured on March 31, a combing operations netted two Maoists. While they were being transported Srisailam triggered an escape bid during which he and his wife were shot and killed.
