On August 18, 2002 evening Andhra Pradesh police attacked members of CPI(ML)-New Democracy’s self-defense squad and killed Com. Cherpa Shriniwas alias Murali near Rollagutta of Rollagadda village in Gondala Mandal of Khammam district. Com. Cherpa Shriniwas was the area commander of Pakhala Kothagudem area self-defense squad. Andhra Pradesh State Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy pays its homage to the martyred Comrade Shriniwas who has made the supreme sacrifice for the cause of New Democratic Revolution in the country. While expressing sympathies with Com. Murali’s family members, CPI(ML)-New Democracy has pledged to carry forward Com. Maruali’s mission.

False Story of the Police

While announcing the death of Com. Murali, police has made a number of false statements. According to the police, while they had gone on combing and were talking to the villagers, Murali and his squad opened fire. The police, according to their statement,  fired in retaliation and Com. Murali’s dead body was found on 19th morning. This is a completely false story. The police had prior information that Com. Murali and his squad were in Rollagadda area. Police team went to the area and severely tortured the villagers to gather information about the squad. Having gathered this information they fired on the squad without any provocation and Com. Murali was martyred in that firing.

Khammam SP announced that as the squad wore olive green dress (Army uniform) the police thought them to be a People’s War squad and opened fire. The statement is not only false but mischievous. It aims to present our self-defense squads in a different light and is aimed at sowing discord among the revolutionary organizations, in this case between our Party and People’s War. The police knows very well that New Democracy squads do not wear the olive green dress. Further it is not the first time that police has killed our comrades in encounters. There has been a series of encounters in recent years in which the police has killed our comrades. Kachinapalli encounter, Com. Yellanna encounter, Musma encounter, Com. Dharmanna encounter and now Com. Murali’s encounter prove the falsehood of the police story that the killing was a result of mistaken identity. APPC has condemned these deliberately misleading stories being given out by the police and the political intrigues being indulged in by the police officers.

In fact the police in Andhra Pradesh is deliberately following a policy of physical liquidation of revolutionary leaders and cadres and is indulging in killing the cadres and leaders of different communist revolutionary organizations in encounters.

Com. Murali: A life of heroism and sacrifice

Com. Murali (Cherpa Shriniwas), aged about 35 years at the time of his martyrdom, was the second son of Sri Cherpa Latchaiah and Ms. Yalamma. He hailed from village Ashoknagar of Khanapur mandal of Warangal district from a poor girijan (tribal) family. Inspired by the revolutionary politics, he joined our Party and self-defense squads in 1990. He was arrested and after his release he rejoined the squads in 1995.

Com Murali was a valiant fighter for the cause of the people. In numerous attacks on our self-defense squads, he fought bravely and never turned his back, rather he was always in front. Through his participation in the revolutionary movement, he became party’s Narsampet mandal committee member and was commander of Pakhala Kothagudem squad.

Com. Murali has a daughter aged five years.