KHAMMAM: TRS leader and former Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) member, Nalluri Srinivasa Rao of Bestha Kothur village in Cherla mandal was allegedly kidnapped by Maoists late on Monday night.
According to his family members, Srinivasa Rao went to bed after dinner when about 20 Maoists came to his village home and took him away. Rao’s wife Durga and son Praveen tried to intervene, but the Maoists assaulted them, leaving Praveen injured on the head. It is also alleged that Maoists took a motorbike belonging to Srinivasa Rao.
According to unconfirmed reports, Srinivasa Rao has taken about 70 acres of tribal land on lease for cultivation. Some days ago the Maoists warned him to leave the tribal lands. While TRS leaders are tight-lipped over the issue, some villages reportedly went deep into the forest to search for Srinivasa Rao. Tension prevailed in the agency area in the wake of Rao’s kidnapping.