An exchange of fire took place between the Special Police party and the outlawed Maoists in the forest near Thokkuguda village of Thiryani mandal in Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district, around 300 km from here, on Tuesday night.
No casualties or injuries were reported on any side and the armed men of the banned CPI (Maoist) slipped into the deep forest.
On Sunday, the police party had seized several incriminating documents, electronic gadgets and detonators from the forests while conducting combing operations to nab the Maoists, including Telangana State Committee member Mailarepu Adellu alias Bhaskar, who has a cash reward of ₹25 lakh on his head.
According to Adilabad SP Vishnu S. Warrier, also the SP in charge of KB Asifabad district, the extremists opened fire on the police party after spotting it.
The dalam, comprising five members, is led by Adellu, who hails from Pocharam in Boath mandal of Nirmal district.
He said the police were continuing the combing operation after they seized some material belonging to Maoists in Thiryani on Sunday.
“Around 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday, when police parties were searching in Thokkuguda village, a Maoist dalam in olive green outfit carrying AK 47 and SLR weapons attempted to fire at us and we retaliated. As a result, the dalam fled from the scene in the dark,” Mr. Warrier said.
He said the search operations and intense combing operations were going on to catch the dalam comprising Adellu, Varghese Koya, Mangu, Ajay and Ramu.
The names of the Maoists were known after police questioned a villager, Kova Ananth Rao, at whose house they reporterdly took shelter.
“We have increased combing in the forest,” the SP said. He said any person giving information regarding the dalam or any suspicious persons in their area would be rewarded and their identity would be kept secret.
One held
Meanwhile, the Kumaram Bheem Asifabad police arrested Kova Ananth Rao of Thokkuguda in Thiryani mandal for sheltering the Maoist dalam. Mr. Vishnu S. Warrier said that Kova Ananth Rao gave food and shelter to the dalam led by State Committee member Mailarepu Adellu alias Bhaskar.
“We understood that the extremists were taking logistic support from Rao and he also helped them escape into the jungle,” he said. A case under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code, Explosive Substances Act, National Security Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act were booked against Rao, who was arrested and will be remanded to judicial custody. “Those providing shelter to the Maoists will be booked under non-bailable sections,” warns Mr. Warrier.