VISAKHAPATNAM: More than a week after the killing of Araku MLA Kideri Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma by Maoists in Dumbriguda Mandal of Visakhapatnam Agency, the police higher-ups have initiated action against the police officers for their ‘negligence’ in discharging duties that led to the assassination of the two TDP leaders.
Two Andhra Pradesh Special Police officials were suspended and a Circle Inspector of Visakhapatnam Rural Police was sent to Vacancy Reserve (VR). Dumbriguda Sub-Inspector Aman Rao was already placed under suspension for dereliction of duties.
On Monday, IG of APSP Battalions RK Meena suspended RSI Sambasiva Rao and Officer Commander (OC) Samparna Rao. The APSP Battalion which consists of about 40 to 50 police personnel, is supposed to protect the Araku region and detect the movement of Maoists.
Meanwhile, DIG (Visakha Range) Ch Srikanth placed Araku Circle Inspector Venku Naidu in Vacancy Reserve (VR). The action was taken against the CI and also the Dumbriguda SI after the family members of TDP MLA and even Paderu MLA Giddi Eswari charged the police with negligence in providing adequate security to Sarveswara Rao during his visit to Tottangi.
Meanwhile, posters condemning the Maoist attack on Sarveswara Rao and Siveri Soma appeared in Araku, Paderu, Dumbriguda and a few other areas of Visakhapatnam Agency on Monday morning. The posters under the banner of ‘Manyam Girijanulu’, alleged that Maoists were acting against the development of Agency area.
Portraying both the tribal leaders as ‘Heroes of Agency’, the posters accused the Maoists of eliminating the MLA and former MLA over false allegations. According to senior police officials, the anti-Maoist posters convey the message that the tribals are more inclined to the development of the Agency.
Suspicion on local leaders
A day after reports emerged that some local ruling TDP leaders had passed on information about the visit of TDP MLA and former MLA to Tottangi, which led to their assassination, DGP RP Thakur denied them.
“There is no evidence to say so,” he said.
However, a senior minister expressed doubts about the involvement of some local leaders in passing on information to Maoists.
“We can’t confirm or deny the same at this point,” the minister told Express.