On Saturday, Maoists gunned down one person and injured another in Bhadradri Kothagudem district in Telangana. They shot P. Jogaiah, a former Maoist member who lost his life in Veerapuram village. They further opened fire on M. Ramesh, a former guerrilla member at Suryanagar in Bhadrachalam town. Ramesh managed to escape with just bullet wounds to his hands.
Both Jogaiah and Ramesh were former Maoist members. Police officials stated the Maoists attacked the individuals as they suspected them to be acting as informers for police. The Maoists further burnt down four trucks, two JCBs and a tractor at Bhupatiraopet in Bhadradri Kothagudem District.
They abducted two workers from one of the trucks but released them later. The Maoists left behind a letter saying their actions were in protest against the illegal sand mining in the area. Around 40 to 50 Maoists reportedly crossed over from Chhattisgarh. They formed three teams and carried out the attacks. After the Maoist attack, police sounded an alert in the area and launched combing operations.
In December 2017, the Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy stated the police were maintaining high alert especially in areas bordering Chhattisgarh to foil attempts by Maoists to regroup. It is said Telangana was once a stronghold for Maoists. Their activities were brought down under control by sustained police operations. In 2017, Maoist operations declined by 90%.
