Nambala Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraj, a top Maoist leader and key strategist in several major attacks across India, was killed in a high-profile encounter with security forces. Rao played a central role in the Maoist insurgency, rising from a grassroots cadre to the Secretary of the Central Military Commission.
He was the mastermind behind the 2003 claymore mine attack near Alipiri targeting then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Naidu narrowly escaped thanks to his bulletproof vehicle.
Rao was also linked to several other major incidents, including the 2008 Balimela ambush that killed 36 Greyhounds commandos, the 2010 Dantewada massacre in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed, and the 2018 assassination of Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao. The killing of Congress leader Mahendra Karma in Chhattisgarh was also attributed to his planning.
At the time of his death, Rao carried a reward of ₹2.02 crore on his head. His end came during a fierce encounter with security forces, marking a significant blow to the Maoist movement in India.