NALGONDA: The police recovered the pistol of Sub-Inspector Chand Pasha, who was killed in the Maoist attack on the Atmakur (M) police station on August 18. The weapon was found in the bushes where two Maoists were killed in an alleged encounter in Chandampet mandal on Friday. "We could recover the 9 mm pistol snatched away by the Maoists in the attack on police station," Hyderabad range DIG R.Eswara Reddy said.

One of the slain naxals, Cherukuri Rattaiah alias Murali, reportedly led the attack on the police station that day, the police believe.

"He was the kingpin. Our parties had chased him for a kilometre before he fell to our bullets. While three weapons — an SLR, a .303 rifle and a country-made revolver — were recovered from the encounter site, the pistol snatched away from SI Chand Pasha was found in the bushes," SP M.M.Bhagwat said. Police records suggest that Murali was involved in 27 crimes including 13 murders. "He had been in the movement for over a decade and he was known for his ferocity," the SP added. He revealed that intense combing was on to chase down four to five Maoists suspected to have fled after the encounter. "Our parties are combing in Kambalapally and Pogilla to nab them," he said.

The police further revealed that a wireless set was found with Murali, who had recently been made the in-charge of Rachakonda operations. "It is a new kind of wireless set, which is used to detonate mines," the SP said adding that it could be used to detonate mines from a distance of 1.5 kilometers. Police suspect that Maoists had planted mines in some places in Chandampet mandal.

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