Five naxals killed in encounters

By Our Staff Reporter

RAHATNAGAR (Nizamabad Dt.), MARCH 18. Three women members of the military platoon of the banned People's War Group were killed and four others including a section commander and an action team leader injured in a fierce exchange of fire with the police in the forest adjoining this naxal-infested village, about 70 km from the district headquarters, this morning.

In the first serious blow to the military platoon covering Nizamabad and Karimnagar west committee of the People's Guerrilla Army (PGA), the three women naxals died in the encounter, after the special party police combing the Rahatnagar forest area, came across the naxals camping on a hillock. The police party climbing the hillock came under fire from the naxals forcing them to return the fire.

The Additional SP (Operations), Mr. Atul Singh, who visited the scene of encounter told The Hindu that two slain naxals were identified as Vanaja alias Bharati of Kothapalli village in Kammarpalli mandal and Vasantha alias Nirmala, resident of Bhupalpalli mandal in Warangal district. The third one was not identified yet.

Police suspect that the action team leader, Thontia Naik alias Ramchander, former commander of Special Guerrilla Squad and section commander of the military platoon, Ilanna, along with two others were injured in the shoot-out.

Thontia Naik is believed to have sustained bullet wound on his forehead but managed to escape with an SLR weapon, which he was carrying, he added.

Our Visakhapatnam Staff Reporter writes:

Two naxalites were killed and an inspector received bullet injury in an encounter with members of the Galikonda dalam of the PWG at Pedavalasa (G.K. Veedhi Mandal), 18 k.m. from Chintapalle in Visakhapatnam district, during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. The naxalites earlier blasted the house of Assistant Estate Manager of Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation.

Twelve naxalites of the PWG entered the house of the Asst. Estate Manager at about 11.30 p.m. on Saturday and threw out all his belongings and asked him to vacate along with family members. They used detonators and blasted the house.

On their way back, they poured kerosene over the Tuni- Pedavalasa RTC bus and stuck posters on it condemning the recent arrest of naxalites at Saluru and Srikakulam district. A police combing squad patrolling in the area heard the sound of the blast and came to the village just when the naxals were about torch the bus. The naxals opened fire and the exchange continued for over an hour during which two naxalites died and four others were injured, the rural police said. There were 50 policemen and sensing this fact the naxalites fled into jungles under cover of darkness. The police identified one of them as Satti Babu and sent the bodies to Chintapalle today at 11 a.m.

While the police were relaxing at a tea stall after despatching the bodies, Mr. D.Mohan Rao, Circle Inspector of Police, G.K. Veedhi, was fired upon by unknown persons from a nearby hut the bullet pierced through his chest on the right side, but he was out of danger.

He was immediately shifted to a corporate hospital here for treatment.

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