Naxals let off three hostages

By Our Staff Reporter

BHEEMGAL (NIZAMABAD dt.), JUNE 21. Three former extremists, Saggupatla Devaiah of Bheemnagar, Limbaiah of Mendora and Lambadi Sharman of Gangarai, who along with three others were kidnapped by naxalites yesterday, were let off today, though the other three were shot dead.

Barring Limbaiah, the other five were given a sound thrashing by the naxals led by the North Telangana Special Zone Committee member, Gajjarala Saraiah alias Azad, and several top leaders of Nizamabad and Karimnagar West committees.

Victims were shot dead from point blank range and in the case of Vijay and Swamy, bleeding injuries sustained due to beating with rifle bayonets were found. There were gaping holes on the bodies giving rise to suspicion that the naxals allegedly pierced their bodies with rifle bayonets.

The relatives of Morri Devula, the third victim, reportedly came in a tractor and took away the body from Inayatnagar, while the bodies of the other two victims were brought to the Bheemgal police station and later sent to Armoor hospital for post-mortem. The police were trying to get the body of Devaiah from Devakkapet to Bheemgal for post-mortem.

The naxals, who had abducted six persons from Devakkapet, Inayatnagar, Gangarai and Mendora, thoroughly interrogated them about their links with the police and also their role in covert operations. The six tied in ropes were produced before a group of journalists on Wednesday and made to confess about the covert operation to kill top PWG leaders including Azad.

The close relatives of Swamy, who came to Bheemgal with the body were tightlipped and refused to divulge any details. However, Swamy's father, Rajanna, village servant of Devakkapet, told The Hindu that five extremists came to his house in the early hours of Tuesday and woke him up and enquired about his son. "First I thought police had come to my house but on opening the door I realised that `annalu' (naxals) were waiting outside," Rajanna said adding that "I refused to allow the naxals to take away my son."

He continued: "the naxals picked up their weapons and aimed at me and my family members. Some of them even loaded the bullets to shoot us, if we did not allow them to take away Swamy." Despite our pleading for mercy, the naxals refused to listen and forcibly dragged Swamy away. "I shouted for help and when we tried to search for Swamy in pitch darkness amid a heavy downpour, he was whisked away into the nearby forest", he said.

The residents of Inayatnagar, who accompanied the bodies of Vijay and Swamy to Bheemgal, pointed out that they had not heard any gunshot but came to know about the deaths only this morning. PWG killing innocents: SP

The Nizamabad SP, Dr. Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, has accused the People's War Group naxalites of resorting to mindless violence and particularly targeting tribals and killing innocent persons in the name of police informants.

Mere suspicion against some innocent villagers and targets had turned the ground for the gruesome execution by the PWG, the SP said in a press note issued here this evening. He lashed out at the naxals for killing innocent villagers and terrorising the people living in rural areas. He said the single point agenda of the PWG appeared to be the targeting of tribals and killing them.

He questioned the intention of the naxals in branding villagers who visited the police stations as informants. He said same was the case with several surrendered naxals who came to the police station to enquire about the rehabilitation package and other benefits.

He pointed out that the PWG was unnerved by the spate of surrenders in the district in the last few years. It was not able to match the rehabilitation package implemented by the Government and their desperation was leading to indiscriminate killings, he added. Dr. Ayyanar said that the violence unleashed by naxals in the district had resulted in 209 women becoming widows and 584 children being orphaned. The loss of property was Rs. 10 crores due to naxal violence, he pointed out.

Intra-party rivalry claims naxal's life

Our Karimnagar Staff Reporter writes:

Meanwhile, a self-proclaimed deputy commander of the Praja Prathigatana group naxalites was allegedly shot dead by his own party's members at Yamanpalli village of Mahamutharam police station limits in the early hours of Thursday.

Reports reaching here said that Ajmera Raju (28), deputy commander of the Kataram dalam, had expelled his commander Venu and declared himself dalam commander in the region some 15 days ago. The reports said that the intra-party rivalry over supremacy

and sharing of funds might have led to the killing of the naxalite leader. The sources said that the Warangal Praja Prathigatana DCS, Mohan, and other naxalites might have been involved in the killing.

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