The Hindu : Violence marks naxal bandh, policeman killed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 04, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Violence marks naxal bandh, policeman killed

By Our Special Correspndent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 3. Sporadic incidents of violence, including the killing of a police constable in Anantapur, an abortive ambush on a police team in Guntur and attacks on the houses of two elected representatives in Guntur and Cuddapah districts, marked the State bandh called by the People's War (PW) today. There was only partial response in the naxal-affected areas in Rayalaseema and coastal districts. Elsewhere, the situation was normal.

The bandh was called in protest against the killing of three top cadre naxalites by the police in alleged encounters last week.

Our Staff Reporter in Anantapur writes:

The bandh turned violent in the district when naxalites, suspected to be belonging to the Ramagiri dalam, shot dead an armed reserve police constable, Subhan (35), at Peruru in Ramagiri mandal in the morning. According to the police, Subhan had gone to Peruru yesterday to celebrate Bakrid with his wife, Padma, who is working there as an ANM.

Two armed naxalites approached him when he was standing at the bus-stand and shot him dead.

While Subhan is a native of Roddam, his wife, Padma, hails from Nalgonda district. It is learnt that the two naxalites entered the village from the Karnataka side and retreated in the same direction after the murder. It is also suspected that the killing is an act of revenge for the encounter killing of three naxalite leaders in Chittoor and Cuddapah districts recently.

The bandh in the district was near-total. All Central Government offices, banks, telecom offices, LIC offices, commercial establishments, petrol filling stations, cinema halls and private educational institutions also remained closed.

According to a report from Guntur, People's War naxalites blasted the house of the former Karampudi mandal parishad president, Kongera Padmavathi, at Petasenigandla village in the early hours. Our Cuddapah Staff Reporter reports:

Seven armed naxalites ransacked the house of Reddamma sarpanch of Polimerapalle in Tsundupalle mandal late last night, demanding her resignation from the post and the TDP.

The naxalites, including three women, belonging to the Pincha and Papaghni dalams, who raided Ms Reddamma's house, damaged household articles and left after warning that she and her husband should resign from the TDP and their posts. Meanwhile, the Polimerapalle MPTC member, Ramisetty Reddamma of the TDP, resigned from her post, citing personal reasons.

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