Thippiri Gangadhar, the youngest brother of Thippiri Tirupati—better known by his nom de guerre Devuji and a prominent Central Committee member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist)—has publicly expressed deep concerns about his brother’s current status and whereabouts. His anxieties have only intensified after the Andhra Pradesh High Court rejected his habeas corpus petition seeking information on Devuji’s location. The petition was filed in the wake of a recent police encounter in which another senior Maoist leader, Madvi Hidma, was killed.
Devuji is believed to be the top-most leader of the CPI (Maoist), holding the position of general secretary, making him one of the last few senior guerrilla commanders still active following Hidma’s death. Gangadhar, who is eight years younger than Devuji, revealed to The Indian Express that he has not seen or heard from his brother for over four decades. This long absence is punctuated now by his growing suspicion that Devuji may be in the custody of Andhra Pradesh police forces, especially in light of recent developments.
Gangadhar’s concerns stem largely from details that emerged in the aftermath of the police operation that eliminated Madvi Hidma on November 18. According to Gangadhar, the circumstances surrounding Hidma’s encounter strongly suggest that Devuji was also apprehended by the police during the operation. Gangadhar explained that Hidma was traveling with his protection team at the time of the encounter, and the police have publicly announced the arrest of nine members of this protection team in Vijayawada. Since Devuji would presumably have been with his protection detail, Gangadhar argues that his brother was likely detained during the same police action. “The big question is, where is Devuji?” he asked.
In response to these allegations and the habeas corpus petitions filed not only by Gangadhar but also by Snehlatha Reddy—the daughter of another senior Maoist leader, Malla Raji Reddy—the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed the pleas, stating there was no prima facie evidence to suggest that either Devuji or Raji Reddy were in police custody. The court examined the materials presented during the hearing and concluded that none indicated that the two leaders had been detained by the state’s law enforcement agencies.
While the security forces maintain that Malla Raji Reddy died of illness earlier this year, Snehlatha Reddy’s petition claimed otherwise, expressing her belief that her father was still alive and possibly held by the police alongside Devuji. The High Court’s division bench, however, noted that senior police officials had categorically denied holding either individual in custody. The court also advised the petitioners that they were free to approach the bench again if they could present stronger evidence.
The state government was represented in court by Special Government Pleader T Vishnuteja, who assured the court that all 50 Maoists arrested in recent operations had been produced before various judicial forums and that no other Maoists were being held secretly. This assertion was aimed at countering the claims that Devuji and others were being unlawfully detained.
Gangadhar, who resides in Korutla town in Jagtial district of Telangana, did not personally attend the court hearing in Amaravati but instead submitted the petition through legal representatives—advocates Gutta Rohith, D. Suresh Kumar, and U. D. Jai Bhima Rao. Their main argument was based on a statement made by Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha during a media briefing. Laddha had announced that several Maoists, including nine members of Devuji’s protection team, had been arrested in and around Vijayawada. While Laddha admitted to detaining members of the protection team, he denied arresting Devuji himself.
Gangadhar said he filed the habeas corpus petition within a day of the encounter that killed Hidma to ensure no delay in ascertaining his brother’s fate and to prevent any possible harm coming to him. The situation escalated for Gangadhar when another police encounter the following morning resulted in the deaths of seven more Maoists. This second operation reinforced his belief that Devuji might have been detained by the authorities.
Providing some background on his family, Gangadhar explained that Devuji is the second eldest among their siblings. Of the four children, one sister resides in Hyderabad, while the fourth sibling, Venkatanna, passed away several years ago. Both their parents