ONGOLE: As many as 23 naxal sympathisers appeared before the police here on Friday and promised to sever their links with the banned CPI (Maoist).

Speaking to newspersons here, Superintendent of Police N. Balasubramanyam said that these persons were providing food, shelter and information to the Maoists and helped them attack their targets in the coastal areas. The police found to their consternation that the Maoists had established a network of sympathisers in Pernamitta, Chimakurthi, Tangutur and Alakurapadu dalitwadas, within a radius of 20 km from Ongole and also at Chirala. He alleged that Maoists had been using Kula Nirmulana Porata Samithi (KNPS), Prajakala Mandali and Patriotic Democratic Front etc., as frontal organisations to lure gullible persons and enlist their support for the cause of Maoists. The sympathisers were taken to Nallamala forest for 15 days to indoctrinate them. They were not given any weapons. But they were just one step away from joining the dalams and going underground.

Mr. Balasubramanyam said that most of the sympathisers said that they knew Naveen, district committee member of CPI (Maoist). He expressed happiness that the police could identify sympathisers and wean them away from the Maoists.

To a question, he said that most of the sympathisers belonged to SCs and were in the age group of 20-30 years.

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