Central forces arrest 30 Maoists, seize weapons in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: Central forces conducted searches in Kotha Autonagar, Penamaluru region of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and detained 30 suspects for Maoist related activities, tv9 telugu reported.

Krishna district SP V Vidyasagar Naidu said that 28 people from Krishna district and two people from Kakinada have been taken into custody.

Weapons seized: 

"We seized weapons and some items from them. Law and Order, Intelligence, and Octopus teams carried out a joint operation. We carried out the raids based on the solid information available to the district police,” the SP said.

He further stated that forensic, bomb squad teams are conducting inspections. "They left the forest and came to areas that are shelter zones. We are interrogating all those arrested. We will investigate from which areas they came and reveal the details tomorrow,” Krishna district SP said.

AP Intelligence Chief Mahesh Chandra Ladda told Tv9 Telugu that combing continues across AP. "Searches are ongoing in Krishna, Vizianagaram, Kakinada, Vizag, Alluri districts. Combing continues based on information that there are still some Maoists. Among the arrested, 9 were security guards of Central Committee member Devuji, while the rest are linked to the South Zonal Committee,” he said.

We seized 2 AK-47s, one pistol, one revolver, one single bore weapon, 1,525 electrical detonators, 150 non-electrical detonators, one electrical wire bundle, one camera flashlight, one cutting blade, fuse wire of 25 metres and seven kit bags, he said.  

The arrests come after prominent Maoist leader Hidma and his wife Raji along with four others were killed in an encounter.

CPI state secretary and legislator Kunamaneni Sambasiva Rao termed the killings as human rights abuses. He said that the policies being followed by the central government are the culmination of jungle raj rule.