Maoist leader Narla Sri Vidya, carrying Rs. 5 lakh reward, arrested in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Acting on credible information, Miyapur Police apprehended Narla Sri Vidya, a State Committee Member of the banned CPI (Maoist), at New Hafeezpet in Hyderabad on Thursday, July 24, 2025.

Sri Vidya, also known as Karuna, Rupa, and Rupi, is a key member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) and part of the Eastern Division Committee (EDC) of the CPI (Maoist). She has been active in the party since 2006 and carries a reward of ₹5,00,000 announced by the Government of Telangana.

Originally from Tirumalapuram village, Pedda Kothapally mandal in Nagarkurnool district, Sri Vidya holds a B.Tech degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad. Her family has a history of links to the banned Maoist party. Her brother Narla Ravi Sharma, an arrested cadre, was taken into custody in 2009.

Her sister, Narla Sridevi, is also associated with the CPI (Maoist). She is married to Takkallapally Vasudeva Rao, also known as Ashanna or Satish, a State Committee Member of DKSZC and a key accused in the assassination of IPS officer Umesh Chandra and the Alipiri blast case.

Sri Vidya reportedly joined the party in 1992, influenced by her brother. She initially worked with Chaitanya Mahila Samakhya, a frontal organisation of the banned CPI (ML), PWG. Over time, she rose through the ranks, holding positions as Area Committee Member (ACM), District Committee Member (DCM), and later State Committee Member (SCM).

According to police, she played a significant role in promoting Maoist ideology among tribal youth in Visakhapatnam, Malkangiri, and Koraput districts, leading to the recruitment of several youths from tribal areas in Chhattisgarh, including Narayanpur, Kanker, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Sukma.

Sri Vidya was also named in a criminal conspiracy case registered at LB Nagar Police Station in 2019. She is currently in police custody and further investigation is underway.