Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Alipiri blast: another naxal hideout found

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI NOV. 12. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the recent attack on the Chief Minister's convoy on the Tirumala ghat road busted in the early hours of Wednesday another hideout of the four-member PWG team reportedly involved in "Operation Alipiri."

This is the second hideout to be busted in the town by the SIT in less than 20 days. The first one was unearthed in a colony on the outskirts of the temple town. The second hideout was detected based on the information gathered by the local police by listing out the houses which had been either remaining locked since October 1, day of the blast, or the ones whose occupants had vacated in a hurry on October 1 and were never seen later. It was a single floor building in the congested P.K. Layout which the police broke open.

Sources said the investigating team found inside the dingy tenement, among other incriminating articles, a set of dumb-bells and other gymnasium material.

It may be recalled that the forensic and bomb detection squads had confirmed earlier that the naxalites loaded the 17-odd claymore mines which they used for attack on the Chief Minister's convoy with iron balls (dumb-bells) and their sewn-off handles to serve as projectiles when the mines exploded. The team was also said to have recovered three cell-phone chargers, some exercise kits, revolutionary literature, a motorcycle, some clothes and photographs.

Police sources said the first floor portion was taken on rent on September 1 initially by a trio in the age group of 20-25 reportedly speaking Telugu with a strong Telengana accent. As the building owner lived in Nagari, 45 km. from here, the co-tenant was said to have spoken to him on the phone and secured his authorisation to let them occupy the portion if he was satisfied with their `bona fides.' They were said to have introduced themselves as mechanics and told the co-tenants that the wife of one of them would be joining them shortly which eventually happened when a woman in the same age group also moved into the portion about a fortnight later.

The police suspect that the hideout was the one where the core of the four-member team holed itself in and went about the operation meticulously. Sources quoting the neighbours said the "tenants" never spoke to anyone around and always remained inside.

Even when it came to making payment to the cable-TV operator and other vendors, sources said they passed the money only through the window.

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