Police suspect Maoist attack in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Aug 1 (UNI) Police here suspect that the Maoist Andhra Committee Action Teams, in order to avenge the killing of CPI(Maoist) Andhra Committee Secretary Madhav, were moving to the city to organise strikes.

After Madhav was killed along with seven other naxals in an encounter in Nallamala forest area on July 23, the police strongly suspect that Andhra Committee Maoist Action Team Commander T Vasudeva Rao alias Aashanna might have either moved to Hyderabad or other neighbouring districts under the jurisdiction of Andhra Committee.

According to police sources, Aashanna was the key man behind the assassination of Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Madhav Reddy and senior IPS officer Umesh Chandra a few years ago during TDP government.

He was also believed to be the mastermind behind the attack on former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu at Alipiri in temple town Tirupathi on September 30, 2003 and IPS officer Mahesh Chandra Ladda on April 27, 2005.

Aashanna had worked in the Maoist party for eight years at various positions in Warangal district before becoming the Action Team Commander of Andhra Committee, which covers Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Mahbubnagar, Guntur, Nalgonda, Krishna, Prakasham, Nellore, Chittoor, Kurnool, Kadapa and Anantapur districts.

The Police suspect that the action Teams under the commandership of Aashanna might strike anywhere in the 12 districts .

According to the sources, it would be hard for the naxals to organise attack in Hyderabad like the one in Tirupathi since all the VVIP vehicles and offices were fitted with jammers.

However, keeping in mind the intelligence reports of a possible Maoist attack in Hyderabad before the Assembly Session commences on August 17, the city police has beefed up security in the city.

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