The headline appears to be abstract or referring to some quiz contest. In reality, it is out of the box. Yes! Maharashtra police is on a mission to make common man a millionaire. A bounty of up to 60 lakhs has been announced by Maharashtra police on five most-wanted members of the banned organization CPI (Maoist).
The Maharashtra police has released an advertisement with the photographs of the five Maoist leaders identified as Joganna, Pahad Singh, and top leaders like Malojulla Venugopal, Sahyadri Teltumbde and Narmadak ka wanted for various criminal offences. Anyone who comes in contact with the listed accused should inform the Superintendent of Police in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. Based on the details received from the informant, if the accused is arrested or killed in exchange of fire with police, the informant would receive the reward money. The informers name and identity would be kept confidential.
The move comes after a team of C-60 commandos, a specialized combat unit of the Gadchiroli police and CRPF personnel killed 16 Naxals in an encounter with the police on 22 April. It is considered one of the biggest successes ever in the Dandakaranyas area by any Anti-Naxal force.
Profile of five ‘Most Wanted Maoists’
Malojulla Venugopal
Underground Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji’s brother Venugopal Rao alias Bhupati,is the head of the Dandakaranya special zonal committee of the CPI (Maoist). His older brother Mallojula Koteshwara Rao alias Kishenji, the former number three Maoist, was killed by CRPF personnel in West Bengal on 24 November, 2011. After which, the then 51-year-old Venugopal, replaced Kishenji in the highest decision making body of the CPI (Maoist).
With Rs. 60 lakh cash reward for disclosing his whereabouts, Malojulla Venugopal is the most wanted Maoist leader by the Maharashtra police. The CPI (Maoist) politburo member leads Maoist activities in south India and hails from Peddapalli in Karimnagar district in Andhra Pradesh. His numerous aliases include Bhupathi, Sonu, Vivek, Laxminarayan and Lachhana Abhay.
His mother Madhuramma, wife of a deceased freedom fighter, believes that she may not live to see her son. “This is a war,” she says, “They kill the police… the police kills them.” Being a bomb expert, Venugopal was credited with orchestrating a landmine blast on 1 February, 2017, in an armoured vehicle of Odisha State Armed Police, killing five policemen and injuring 20 at Mogarguma village, near Pottangi in Odisha’s Koraput district.
Sahyadri Teltumbde
Sahyadri who is also known as Dipak, Miling, Pravin, Arun and Sudhir hails from Rajur village in Yavatmal district in Maharashtra. The Maoist leader carries a Rs. 50 lakh bounty on him. Sahyadri, is the secretary in-charge of CPI (Maoist) in the state. According to a police report, Sahyadri, an engineer by education, is a central committee member and is known for his intellect.
Narmadakka
A senior Naxal leader and the only female member of the central committee of the CPI (Maoist), Narmadakka aka Alluri Usharani Kirankumar hails from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. She was appointed as the divisional secretary of South Gadchiroli division prior to 2012. She is the second female member, after Anuradha Gandhi, to be appointed as a central committee member.
Narmadakka played a crucial role in gathering women tribal folk for the ultra-left movement in the Dandakaranya region. She also set up an “aggressive military force” with the latest 
arms & ammunition and communication technology to counter the state machinery. Fifty-three cases are registered against her in Maharashtra.
However, reports of 2012 suggest that she was killed in a police encounter at Hiker village in Chhattisgarh. As per the recent advertisements released by the Maharashtra police, a Rs. 25 lakh cash reward awaits the informant of her whereabouts.
Joganna
A top Naxal leader, Joganna has Rs. 20 lakh bounty for revealing his whereabouts. He hails from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and has multiple aliases such as Ghisu and Chimala Narsayya. Joganna is believed to be the district division chief for CPI- Maoist’s Gadchiroli unit.
According to police reports, he was the divisional commander of Etapalli dalam (Naxal band), Platoon dalamand Kasansur dalam.
Pahad Singh
A dreaded guerilla Maoist leader, Pahad Singh belongs to Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh and has a bounty of Rs 16 lakh on his head. He goes by the aliases of Ashok, Tipu Sultan, Kumarsai Katlami and Baburao Topha. Pahad Singh currently heads the North Gadchiroli-Gondia-Balaghat divisional committee.
