Gopu Gopikrishna, who was better known as Sandesh and Suryam, a Maoist leader was arrested by the rural police of Vishakapatnam in the Malkangiri region of Odisha bordering the district of Vishakapatnam. He was a division committee member of Malkangiri, sources said.

After taking him into their custody he was remanded to the Vishakapatnam police. Suryam was notorious for his involvement in the Balimela ambush which killed several Greyhound police personnel.

He is also an in-charge of Matchkund area committee, who had been active since the last three years in Onukudellin in Odisha, near the hydro power prokect. Suryam was the son of  state committee leader Gopu Sammi Reddy alias Jugal who is already in the police custody after his arrest three years ago.

Maoists had laid special focus on Bonda-Gupteswar area and had also gone as far as creating a new committee. Once they gain control of this area they would have uninhibited access to Odisha and Chattisgarh.

Earlier the in charge for committee affairs, he was promoted to a DCM. Prior to that he served as the commander of the Matchkund area squad.

(AW- Anil)