A bandh was observed by the people of Peddpalli, native town of slain Maoist leader Mallojula Koteshwara Rao alias Kishenji, in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday to condemn his killing by the West Bengal Police and to express solidarity with his bereaved family.
All shops, business establishments and others institutions remained closed since morning. However, police forced the shop owners and others to open the shutters and threatened to register cases against them if they did not comply. This had an immediate effect since all shops opened in the afternoon.
Bengal scribe questioned
Meanwhile, Mr. Sunonda, a journalist representing the Anand Bazaar Patrika , was detained by the Peddapalli police and questioned about his credentials on Saturday. He had flown down from Kolkata on Friday night to Hyderabad and arrived in Peddapalli town this morning.
After talking to the relatives of Koteshwara Rao at his residence, he was stopped by police and taken to the police station. Upon proving his identity, he was released. Talking to The Hindu , Mr. Sunonda said that police had picked him after he stated that he had come from West Bengal.
“They seemed to be under the impression that other persons (Maoists) would visit Peddapalli under the guise of journalists.
The entire Peddapalli town was fortified with the heavy deployment of armed police as also policemen in plain clothes. The police are using the surrendered naxalites as 'spotters' to identify the Maoists if they managed to reach the place for the funeral of Koteshwara Rao.
