VISAKHAPATNAM: A tribal youth, who earlier worked as militia member, has been gunned down by armed Maoists of Galikonda Area Committee at Chukkagoyyi village under the GK Veedhi police station limits of Vizag Agency, branding the victim a police informer. Though the incident happened on Friday night, it came to lime light only on Saturday. The incident triggered panic among tribals, as it took place hours before commencement of the ‘Martyrs’ Week’ being observed by the banned CPI (Maoist).
The police identified the deceased as Vanthala Jairam alias Balayya alias Saalu, belonging to Chukkagoyyi village. He was a farmer.
Jairam had worked as a militia member in 2013 and he surrendered before the police after six months. Maoists claimed that Jairam was behind the death of Maoist leader Gemmali Narayan Rao alias Jambri in February 2017, who was gunned down by the security forces in an exchange of fire (EOF) near Annavaram area in Vizag Agency.
With the information provided by Jairam, the police were able to arrest some members of the Maoists in Vizag Agency, it was alleged.
Police sources said that a group of armed Maoists dragged Jairam out of his house at gunpoint at around 11 pm on Friday and later shot him dead on the outskirts of the village. According to B Chandrasekhar, SI of GK Veedhi police station, the police had advised the victim and a few others to move to a safer place in view of the ‘Martyrs’ Week’ being observed in the Agency. But Jairam did not heed their advice, he said.