After the brutal killing of Araku MLA Kideri Sarveswara Rao and his aide and former MLA Siveri Soma by a group of CPI (Maoist) members in Visakhapatnam district, there are reports that the Maoists are targeting public representatives from the East Godavari agency areas.
Cops have increased vigil at Rampachodavaram and Chintur Agency areas in the district. Rampachodavaram MLA Vantala Rajeswari has been moved to a safe location in Kakinada while security at MLC T. Ratna Bai’s residence has been beefed up.
With a week-long programme of Maoists underway, police are suspecting that they might be active in the Dandakaranyam region. According to the police, Maoists have made a list of 50 people from – Pega, Tummala and Chidmuru of Chintur mandal, and Lakshmipuram, Vissapuram and Pichukalapadu in Etapaka mandals – the areas bordering Chhattisgarh.
Natives in the region are in the grip of fear following Sunday’s brutal killings. The latest move comes following the instructions from SP Vishal Gunni and ASP (Rampachodavaram) Rahul Dev Singh to intensify security in the Agency areas. Security checks have also intensified along with presence of extra police personnel at police stations in the region.
Meanwhile, all the MPs, the MLAs, the MLCs and other VIPs in the state have been asked to give information to the state police about their programmes and movements in advance.