The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Eight farmers killed by Maoists

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 02, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Eight farmers killed by Maoists

By D. Sreenivasulu

ATMAKUR (KURNOOL DT), MARCH 1. The CPI (Maoist) struck in a big way in the State by killing eight farmers of Vempenta village deep inside the Nallamala forest, near Atmakur in Kurnool district, early today.

The extremists lured 28 important persons of the village into a carefully laid out trap on the pretext of peace negotiations on Monday night and surprised them by suddenly turning violent. The extremists were believed to have committed the massacre to avenge the killing of nine of their sympathisers in 1998.

The bodies of the victims, all with head injuries, were found strewn around on the dry bed of the Gundlavagu stream. The police and the residents of Vempenta scoured the forest for nearly two hours to locate the bodies with the help of survivors.

On Monday evening, the Maoists invited key persons to the forest for continuing the dialogue for bringing about peace in the village. When a Sub-Inspector of police went to the village on a routine visit and inquired about the absence of key persons, the locals told him that they had gone to Rudrakodu temple.

Held hostage

The armed extremists, numbering about 20 and believed to be members of Bhavanasi dalam, shocked the contingent by tying up their hands and holding them hostage. They escorted eight select men one after the other to a distance and axed them to death. Recalling the blood-chilling incident, Bomma Eswaraiah, who survived, said they had no idea that those taken away would be killed. Among them was his son, Bomma Murali.

After carrying out the massacre, the extremists ordered the villagers not to move until they signalled and escaped into the forest. The shocked villagers spent the night there and returned home this morning leaving the dead in the forest.

An agriculturally-rich village, Vempenta was divided between supporters of extremists and those who opposed them. The extremists started the violence in 1998 by murdering the sarpanch, Bomma Sivaiah. In retaliation, the supporters of Sivaiah attacked the SC colony, inhabited by Madigas, and hacked to death nine persons.

CRPF jawan attacked

Our Staff Reporter from Hyderabad adds: In separate incidents, a CRPF jawan was injured in an exchange of fire with Maoists in Tadwai Mandal of Warangal district when the latter were fleeing after blasting a forest office. The police recovered four Claymore mines from the spot. In Mahabubnagar district, extremists blasted a gas cylinder godown belonging to a Congress leader in Amrabad. At least 25 cylinders exploded and brought down the entire structure.

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