A group of nearly 40 members of the CPI (Maoist) destroyed the household property of a Girijan (tribals of Andhra Pradesh), who is reportedly helping the bauxite mining agencies, and computer and furniture in the office of the AP Coffee Development Corporation at R.V. Nagaram in the Visakha Agency area around midnight on Wednesday.
As they were leaving, a police party entered the village and when the Maoists fired a few shots at them, the police reportedly fired a few rounds into the air since there were a large number of Girijans at the spot.
Wednesday midnight’s incident was the latest violence the Maoists have resorted to in the recent past after kidnapping two Girijan political leaders, damaging road-laying equipment, etc. They had killed the Vice-President of Koyyru Mandal Praja Parishad S. Somlingam on February 12 on the charge of supporting bauxite mining and resorted to some other acts of violence during the last two weeks. The Maoists were looking for Vijaya Kumar, who along with Somalingam helped the bauxite mining agencies in collecting earth samples from the Jerrela block where the bauxite mining is proposed.
According to reports reaching here, about 10 armed Maoists along with about 30 militia members went to the village in two groups just before midnight. One group went to Vijaya Kumar’s house and inquired about him. They did not believe his wife’s version that he had gone to the plain area one week ago. They checked the house and destroyed household articles and furniture. Another group went to the nearby coffee corporation office and damaged computers and furniture. As they were leaving, a police party reached the village and the Maoists fired a few shots at them and the police fired into the air to avoid hurting the Girijans present there. There were no casualties on either side.
CPI (Maoist) east division committee secretary Ganesh and Galikonda area committee secretary Krishna were reportedly among the Maoists that went to the village.
