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In a hard-hitting statement on Sunday, the Andhra Pradesh government warned People's War group cadres against creating a scare in rural areas by moving around carrying arms even as it continued its offensive against the Left-wing extremists killing another top functionary of the group in Guntur district.
A police spokesman said the killed PW functionary was identified as Sudhakar alias Raghu.
The incident took place in the early hours (between 0030 and 0200 hours IST) when a police party from the Veldurthi police station noticed two persons moving around in a suspicious manner between Parlapai and Uppalapadu villages near Macherla town, he said.
When asked to stop, they opened fire at the police party, he said.
Later, the police searched the area and found Raghu's body, he said adding his accomplice had fled the scene.
The spokesman said that this was the first police action in Guntur district since the People's War group announced a unilateral ceasefire on February 10.
Even though the police exercised restraint hitherto, PW extremists committed a score of minor offences in Guntur district alone since April 18, he said.
After the Veldurthi village revenue officer conducted an inquest, the body was sent to the Macherla government hospital for a post-mortem.
Raghu's killing is a setback to the outfit, which had lost another top functionary Padmakka in a police encounter in Karimnagar district on July 2.
In all, eight PW Naxalites have been killed in four encounters in the state since June 24.
Meanwhile, the state government toughened its stand on the activities of the People's War group even as it reiterated its commitment to solve the decades-old problem of Naxalism in the state.
In a statement on Sunday, it asked the outlawed outfit to stop violence, extortion and movement of armed squads in rural areas so as to promote a 'conducive atmosphere' for the next round of talks slated for July 20.
"Right from the beginning, the government has made clear that its prime duty is to maintain law and order and provide peace in the state. The government cannot and will not allow any acts of intimidation and extortion, and these acts, wherever committed, would be dealt with an iron hand," it said.
The statement pointed out that 'even after the commencement of talks, the PW has resorted to acts of extortion, intimidation, violence and movement in villages with arms and weapons."
In this context, the government cited the kidnapping of a seven-year-old girl in Khammam for a ransom of Rs 4 million (Rs 40 lakh), resumption of land grabbing activities in Cherial in Warangal district, blasting of houses of political leaders and targetting of the office of the superintendent of police of Karimnagar district.
In the same breath, it assured safe passage to Naxalite leaders coming to hold talks with the government.
Meanwhile, the AP Civil Liberties Committee's Guntur district president Prabhakar and Human Rights Forum district convenor Chandrasekhar alleged that Raghu was killed in a fake encounter.
They claimed that Raghu and another PW member Nagaraju were picked up by the police near Nagarjunasagar canal bund during a combing operation on the day of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's visit to the district on July 5.
The APCLC claims that it had immediately demanded that the police produce the duo before a magistrate, which the police did not do.
Condemning Raghu's killing, the APCLC and HRF have demanded a judicial enquiry into the incident and booking of a case of murder against the police officers involved in the incident as per a recent direction of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
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