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Vegiraju Satyanarayana Raju @ Aggiraju

(Andhra Pradesh)

Vegiraju Satyanarayana Raju Also Known as Aggiraju hailed from the village of Kumudavelli in the Bhimavaram taluka of the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. His father’s name was Venkata Narasimha Raju and he belonged to the Kshatriya community. Though he was only educated up to the fourth class, he was an agriculturist who became influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and joined the Non-Cooperation movement, working as a Congress volunteer in the Bhimavaram Congress Camp.

Raju was an adventurous person who was curious about different places in the country. On a tour to Calcutta with a friend, he heard stories of Alluri Sitarama Raju from co-passengers in the train. Excited by the news, he got down from the train at Annavaram Railway Station, proceeded towards the Agency area, and met Sitarama Raju in May 1923. Soon, he became a close associate of Raju who waged the 1922-24 Rampa Rebellion against the British Government in the Agency area of Vishakapatnam.

Aggiraju attacked the British police several times, but was captured on May 6, 1924, by Intelligence Inspector Upendra Patnaik at Bodlagandi near Kirrabu village. He was convicted under Section 121 of the Indian Penal Code by the Additional Agency Sessions Judge Waltai and sentenced to transportation for life on May 13, 1925. He was confined to the Rajahmundry and Tiruchirapalli Jails.

Finally, he was deported to the Cellular Jail in the Andamans, where he died while serving his term of imprisonment.