In a blow to the Maoists, one of their top leaders and spokesperson was killed in an encounter with the Andhra Pradesh police in Adilabad district in the wee hours today. Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad, a member of the CPI (Maoists) Central Committee, was killed in an encounter in the forest area at Vankhidi. He was said to be in 50s. Acting on information that some Maoists were coming to Andhra Pradesh from Maharashtra, a police team was conducting checks in Vankhidi area last night and they came across the ultras at around 11 PM. The Maoists fired at the police, who retaliated, and the exchange of fire continued till early morning. Police said, some surrendered Maoists have identified one of the deceased as Azad and the other body was yet to be identified. Meanwhile, Maoist sympathiser and revolutionary poet Varavara Rao said that he along with Azad's mother would file a petition in the High Court seeking that the body be shifted to Hyderabad.<br/>