AP DGP condemns Maoist activities

Visakhapatnam, May 29 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police M A Basith today condemned the Maoist activities in the state and the murder of a Zilla Panchayat Vice Chairman by naxalites in the district.

S Ravi Sankar, a young graduate and Zilla Panchayat Vice Chairman had been shot dead by the the banned Maoists' East Division Committee.

The DGP visited the insurgency affected area, Hukumpeta village.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Basit said police protection was provided to a few leaders.

The State Government had accepted in principle to strengthen the police force, he said stressing the need to control the land-mafia gangs in the city.

Regarding the Mecca Masjid bomb blast in Hyderabad, he said special teams had been probing the incident but there was breakthrough so far.

He also announced that the new Greyhounds unit would be functional very soon in Bheemunipatnam mandal in the district. Two more Greyhound units would come up at Kurnool and Kadapa in the state.

The Greyhounds were currently operating from Narsipatnam and the new units would help in curbing the Maoist menace in the North Coastal Andhra effectively, he added.

UNI