Two days after they were taken captive, as many as 15 tribals belonging to Bodanalli and Kurnapalli villages in Cherla Mandal (administrative sub-division) in Bhadradri Kothagudem District of Telangana were released by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) on December 9, reports The New Indian Express. According to sources, the tribals were taken hostage by the Maoists on December 7 as not a lot of people came forward to attend a public meeting organised on the occasion of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA)’s 21st anniversary. Soon after confining the tribals in their camps, the Maoist leaders told the villagers that those who had been detained would be released only if they bring more people for the meetings. Bhadradri Kothagudem Superintendent of Police (SP) Sunil Dutt alleged that the Maoists were threatening innocent tribals and forcing them to take part in their unlawful activities.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Venkatapuram and Wazeedu Mandals (administrative sub-divisions) in Jayashankar Bhupalpally District of Telangana on December 9 after the locals spotted posters and pamphlets, purportedly created and circulated by the members of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) party, warning the ‘police informers’ of dire consequences, reports The New India Express. The posters were spotted along the road that connects the two Mandals. In the posters and pamphlets, the members of the Maoist party’s Venkatapuram-Wazeedu committee stated that Bollaram villagers Shayamala Prasad, P Venkata Lakshmi and K Ram Babu, Penka Vagu resident Sodi Narsima Rao, Kalpaka villager K Satyam, and Kursum Ram Babu, belonging to Seetharampuram village, were working for the Police by providing information about their activists.