The Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee on Wednesday filed a writ petition in the state high court seeking a judicial probe into the killing of a People's War leader in a "fake" encounter in Adilabad district.

In the petition, the APCLC alleged that Pullam Sudershan Reddy alias Ramakrishna, west division secretary and north Telangana special zonal committee member of the PW, was killed along with three others in a "fake encounter" at Devapur village in Devapur forests on Tuesday morning.

Considered to be a top strategist and theoretician of the PW, Ramakrishna carried a reward of Rs1.2 million on his head. The police claimed that he was involved in over a 100 cases.

The APCLC alleged that the police arrested the four PW leaders at some other place, took them to Devapur forests and shot them dead.

People's Union for Civil Liberties president K G Kannabiran also demanded a judicial probe into case.

He said a murder case should be registered against the policemen who were involved.

The Adilabad district police initially claimed that they had killed Pullur Prasad Rao alias Bhaskar alias Chandranna, central committee member and north Telangana special zonal committee secretary. Subsequently, they identified the slain leader as Sande Rajamouli alias Prasad, central committee member. Ultimately, the police confirmed that Ramakrishna had died in the encounter.

The other slain Naxalites were Sudershan, ninth platoon section commander, Pendra Bujji Rao alias Bharat, Jana Natya Mandali member and Madavi Yadava Rao alias Ravinder, Local guerrilla squad member.

Ramakrishna, who hailed from Mogilicherla village in Warangal district, joined the PW and worked in various capacities in the underground movement. He was secretary of PW's Nizamabad and Warangal district committees and was involved in scores of cases in north Telangana region. His wife and other family members also work for the PW in Nizamabad district.

Meanwhile, the police sounded a red alert in north Telangana districts fearing reprisals from the PW in the wake of the killing of its leader.