Naxals spread terror to stop AP govt programme

The outlawed People's War Group shot dead a former sarpanch, kidnapped two political functionaries, triggered a landmine and set ablaze a jeep to scare officials from participating in the Janmabhoomi programme during the last 24 hours in Andhra Pradesh.

The militants took the former sarpanch from his house to the Sripathpalli village outskirts in Warangal district and killed him for cultivating lands despite their warning not to do so.

In another incident, the extremists abducted a zilla parishad territorial constituency member at Shetpally, Sangareddy, and an upasarpanch of the neighbouring village, branding them as police informers. The two functionaries, however, were released unharmed late Monday night.

Sources said the extremists had triggered a landmine at Chandur village, about 20 km from Nizamabad town, moments before a state-owned bus passed that way. However, no one was injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, the extremists on Sunday set ablaze a jeep after forcing the officials involved in the programme to get off the vehicle near Jaldipalli village in Nizamabad district.

The officials, who were later taken into the forest, were released after three hours with a warning that they should not participate in the programme.

UNI