Former Maoist leader Ponnoju Parameswara Rao alias Viswanadh alias Papanna alias Nandu, a diabetic, died on Thursday while undergoing treatment at the King George Hospital here.
Joining the movement in 1984, he rose to the DCM cadre in the Korukonda Dalam in the Andhra-Odisha border division, and was member of the squad that abducted seven IAS officer including S.R. Sankaran on December 27, 1987, at Gurtedu in East Godavari.
A native of Aasamparti of Warangal, he led raids on the Kalimela Police Station and the Nayagarh armoury in Odisha. Later in 2011, he and his wife surrendered and were given cultivable land at Devarapalle by the State government.
He was learnt to be very close to senior leaders and Central Committee members such as Patel Sudhakar Reddy and Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishen ji.
