Hyderabad, January 15
Six Naxalites, including two women militants, were killed by the police today in two separate encounters in Prakasam and Mahboobnagar districts, signalling the end of two-month-long fragile ceasefire in the state.
Two male and a female naxalite were killed at Chintal village, near Dornala-Srisailam Ghat road, in Prakasam district in an exchange of fire with the police. District SP Mahesh Prakash Chandra Ladha said a group of armed extremists started firing at a combing police party and the police shot at them in defence, leaving three militants dead.
In Mahboobnagar district, a police party visited Bakkalingayapalli in Acchampet mandal on an information that Naxalites were extorting money from locals. The police had to open fire when the ultras refused to surrender, killing three dalam (armed squad) members, including a woman, SP Vikram Sinha told reporters.
In a separate incident, Naxals belonging to the Janashakti group shot dead Mr Rajalingaiah, 55-year-old Congress sarpanch of Rudrangi village in Karimnagar district in retaliation against the killing of dalam commander Naresh, sending shivers across the local people’s representatives and Congress activists in Telangana districts. The Naxalites, in a note left behind, warned that similar fate awaited Congress leaders and activists, if the combing operations continued against the Maoists.
Apprehending further reprisals by Naxalites, the police sounded red alert in all Naxal-dominated districts and asked ruling party representatives to be on guard against possible extremist attacks. DGP Swaranjit Sen, while insisting that the encounters were not fake, said, “From our side, there is no active response. The police is engaged only in retaliatory shooting.”
Even as the encounter killings have cast a grim shadow over peace talks between the government and Maoist groups, Home Minister K. Jana Reddy huddled into a meeting with members of the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee to take stock of the situation.
Earlier, reacting to the killing of the sarpanch, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy condemned the act and warned that the Naxalites would not be allowed to take law into their hands. Mr Jana Reddy said the encounters occurred because the ultras were carrying weapons in the villages against the spirit of the talks. Accusing the Naxalites of resorting to unprovoked killing of innocent persons in the last few days, he asked the Left extremists to hand over the arms and continue the dialogue.
