Woman among 2 Maoists killed in encounter

Pasra (Warangal): In the first incident after the formation of Telangana in June 2014, two Maoists were killed in an encounter with the police in the district in the early hours of Tuesday.

The exchange of fire took place between a team of special police force combing the deep forests of Rangapuram village in Govindaraopet mandal and Maoists.

The Maoists are said to be camping at Jinnelamalupu, a stream passing through the forest when the incident took place.

This has created a lot of sensation in the district as well as in the neighbouring districts as the incident occurred after a gap of six years.

The incident brings forth the Maoists’ move to resurface in Telangana which was once their stronghold.

It is said that Maoist party Khammam-Karimnagar-Warangal (KKW) secretary Damodar and other key leaders escaped into Karimnagar district from the spot. The combing operations are still going on. Additional police forces have been dispatched from the district headquarters to join the search operations.

Warangal Rural SP AK Jha told The Hans India that the slain Maoists were identified as Shruthi alias Mahita (23), an M Tech student from Vaddepally in Hanamkonda and Vidyasagar Reddy alias Sagar (32) hailing from Dharmasagar mandal of Warangal district.

A plastic tent, medical kits and revolutionary literature were found at the spot along with lunch boxes tied to trees suggesting that a large group of Naxals were camping at the site. He said two weapons (one .303 and a carbine) and several kits were recovered.

It may be noted here that the Maoists in a bid to prove their existence have been putting up posters at places like Cherial, Chityal and many agency villages during the last several months warning public representatives and contractors by moving in smaller groups.Much to the surprise of the police, a banner has also appeared on the Kakatiya University campus in August.

In an act of aggression, the Maoists have burnt an excavator at a red-soil quarry at Mallampalli village in Mulugu mandal on last Sunday. It might be recalled that the last encounter in Warangal district took place in 2009 at Kotancha village in Regonda mandal in which two Maoists M Raju and N Venkatesh were killed.

By:James Edwin