A top Maoist was killed and two others surrendered to the police in an encounter in Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning.

State police spokesman M S Shankar told rediff.com that Kadali Ramulu alias Hari, deputy commander of Gurthedu Dalam (armed squad) and member of Andhra Orissa Border East Division Committee of the Communist Party of India-Maoist, died in an exchange of fire with a special police party in the forests near Gorlegandi in G K Veedhi mandal.

The encounter took place when a special police party conducting combing operations in the forest area came across a group of three Maoists at around 10.30 am. When the police asked them to surrender, Maoist leader Ramulu opened fire. The police returned the fire, killing him on the spot. Two other Maoists, identified as S Giri and P Hari, surrendered to the police party.

The police recovered one self-loading rifle used by Ramulu and a .303 rifle from Giri who surrendered. 

Ramulu, aged 46 years, hailed from Veluguthurthi in Karimnagar district. He was associated with Maoist movement for the last 22 years and worked as district committee member of CPI-Maoist in Warangal district. He carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh on his head.

Combing was intensified in the area on Friday night after three Greyhound (special police) commandos were injured when Maoists set off a claymore mine at Jagalammathota near Palakajeedi in Koyyuru mandal on Visakhapatnam-East Godavari district borders.