Bastar, 24 June 2021: Top Naxal Commander and Telangana State Committee Secretary, Yapa Narayan aka Haribhushan died due to Coronavirus disease (COVID19) infection. Chhattisgarh Police verified the death in the Bijapur-Sukma border region on Monday night.

According to the Bastar’s Inspector General (IG), P Sundarraj, Bastar Police was continuously receiving information for the last few days that some senior Naxal cadres including Telangana State Committee Secretary Haribhushan are infected from covid and they are under serious condition.

Police said that Haribhushan died on 21 June in Minaguram-Bhattigudam –Jabagatta forests which are located on the border of the Bijapur-Sukma district.

A reward of over Rs 40 lakhs was announced on him.
According to IG Sundarraj, Haribhushan lived in Minaguram-Bhattigudam –Jabagatta forests, the border of Bijapur-Sukma district where he died.

The IG also said that Haribhushan is involved in more than 22 cases in Chhattisgarh. Haribhushan is also known as Yapa Narayan, Jagan and Duryodhan. Haribhushan belongs to the Medagudam village of Mahbubnagar in Telangana.

The police officer said that earlier in December 2019, Central Committee member and Dandakaranya Special Zone Committee Secretary Ramana died from illness in the South Bastar region, while during a few weeks, Committee’s two senior members Ganga and Shobhroi also died due to covid-19 infection.

Sundarraj further added that the covid infection situation in Naxal camps is perturbing and in the last few months, more than sixteen senior and middle-level members have died due to coronavirus. Many more Naxals are also infected with covid.