ONGOLE: Maoists shot dead two persons, injured two others and burnt down two tractors in Pullalacheruvu mandal of Prakasam district in the early hours of Thursday.

According to the police, a team of 12 Maoists, including two women, stormed the house of K. Veera Reddy (30) in R. Ummidivaram village at 2.30 a.m., dragged him out and shot him dead. They beat up Nagireddi Nagamohana Reddy and K Elia causing them grievous injuries. They also torched two tractors belonging to Veera Reddy before leaving the house.

It is stated that the police had taken Veera Reddy and Nagamohana Reddy to the police station at Pullalacheruvu two days ago when they were found moving on a motorcycle without number plate. The duo went to the police station again next day and got back their vehicle after producing the necessary documents.

Mistaken for informers

As the two persons were found in the police station on two days, Maoists mistook them for police informers and shot them dead, the police felt. Incidentally, Maoists had left a note in which they branded Veera Reddy a police informer.

The same team went to Venkata Reddypalle, 5 km away, at 4.30 a.m. and woke up Bhogireddi Venkata Reddy (55) before shooting him dead for running a liquor shop in the village. It is stated that Maoists had asked him to close his belt-shop a few days ago. But he ignored their threat and continued to sell liquor. Palavanka dalam claimed responsibility for both killings.

Condemned

Superintendent of Police N. Balasubramanyam condemned the killings. He said that Maoists had killed 22 persons branding them informers in Prakasam district this year. Most of the victims belonged to the Scheduled Tribes (8) and Backward Classes (5) while only four belonged to upper castes. The victims included persons above 60 years of age or below 10, he said. The incidents revealed the strategy of Maoists to lay emphasis more on military than political operations as mentioned in the documents seized from the site of encounter recently, he added.

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