Maoists run amuck, damage ashram

Visakhapatnam: A band of about 50 CPI- Maoists, armed with weapons, damaged a religious ashram at Gudhalamveedhi hamlet under G Madugula police station limits in the agency area late on Saturday night. The religious ashram is run by one J Simhachalam. Maoists branded him as a police informer.

The Maoist members barged into the ashram and damaged the idols and other infrastructure, besides the house of Simhachalam.

Later, they set a motor bike parked in front of the house afire.

They also roughed up the followers of Simhachalam before leaving the scene of offence. The ashram was being run in an asbestos roofed shed in the hamlet for many years and the prayers of Simhachalam attracted many devotees.

According to information reaching here, the rebels had gone to the remote village to eliminate Simhachalam, alleging that he was training tribal youths as police informers under the guise of spiritual activity. As Simhachalam was out of state, the Maoists went on the rampage, damaging the ashram.

It was also alleged that Simhachalam was responsible for the death of East Division Committee member Sindri Chinna Ranga Rao alias Sarat and militia network member P Ganapati at Veeravaram village by a group of tribal people after a Maoist team shot dead one G Sanjeeva Rao, a friend of Simhachalam.

Inspector of Police, G Madugula K Srinivasa Rao informed that the Maoist members also set afire an excavator also near Nurmati area in G Madugula mandal Saturday night protesting against ongoing road works.