Hyderabad: A day after Maharashtra police neutralised four Maoists from Telangana who had crossed over to Gadchiroli, Mancherial police have beefed up the security and pressed surveillance drones into service to maintain vigil along the state border, especially the Pranahita river course.
“Security has been beefed up across the district to keep a check on Maoist activity,” a police officer said.
Four Maoists, including two divisional committee members were killed in an encounter with police on Tuesday, March 19. They were identified as Vargeesh, Secretary of Mangi Indravelli Area, Magtu, Secretary of Sirpur Chennur Area Committee, and two Platoon members Kursang Raju and Kudimetta Venkatesh. According to police, all of them carried a collective bounty of Rs 36 lakh.
The police teams also recovered arms like an AK-47, a carbine, 2 country-made pistols, ammunition, Maoist literature and personal belongings of the deceased Maoists.
Gadchiroli police said that the encounter with the Maoists ensued after they fired on police and CRPF teams who were conducting search operations near Kolamarka hillocks in Aheri tahsil of the district.
They said that Tuesday’s operation was conducted based on credible inputs that the Maoists had crossed over from Telangana to carry out subversive activity in Maharashtra in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha election scheduled on April 19.
Police said that they are apprehensive that the outlawed group is hatching plans for targeted attacks in Maharshtra, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh ahead of the general eletions.
