Andhra Pradesh (Maoist Insurgency): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2015

A red alert has been sounded in the Visakhapatnam agency of Andhra Pradesh and along the Andhra-Odisha Border following a massive exchange of fire between the Maoists and Armed Forces near Mukundapalli village in Malkangiri District, reports The New Indian Express on January 7. Read less...

The Andhra Pradesh Government is planning to raise a tribal Police battalion to take on the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), reports The Times of India on January 6. The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Naxalite-Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) issue headed by Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has recommended a tribal battalion, staffed by tribal youth from East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, exclusively to counter Maoist insurgence on the Andhra-Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. Plans are afoot to locate the battalion either at Rampachodavaram in East Godavari or Paderu in Visakhapatnam District. The high-powered Committee, which has Deputy Chief Ministers N Chinnarajappa, KE Krishnamurthy and Minister Sidda Raghava Rao as members, wants to go ahead with its plans as the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) is keen on a tribal Police force. "The Union Home Ministry has prepared a comprehensive anti-Naxal policy and wants the State Governments to take the lead in the fight against Maoists. We recommended a tribal battalion with the financial assistance of the Centre," said a Minister who is a member of the committee. The Andhra Pradesh Government has been assured 'full' financial assistance by the Centre to raise the battalion, which is expected to cost INR 3000 million in the first phase. The Cabinet Sub-Committee has asked the Government to come out with liberal eligibility qualifications for the tribal youth willing to be part of the battalion. It has further asked the Government to fill 300 vacant Home Guard posts in Visakhapatnam District with tribal youth in order to stall recruitments to Maoist outfits. The Committee has also recommended increasing the compensation for property loss from the present INR One million to full compensation while allotting land to victims of extremist attacks. Read less...

A member of the Kalimela ‘area committee’, identified as Korra Santhi, who was active in Malkangiri District of Odisha till recently and 11 militia members from Pedavalasa area surrendered before the Police in Vishakhapatnam District on January 13, reports The Hindu. Read less...

An active member of the Galikonda ‘area committee’ of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), identified as Pangi Bhaskara Rao, was arrested at Chintapalli mandal (administrative unit). Read less...

Visakhapatnam District Police is upgrading the existing Police Stations in the District to make them attack-proof against Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), reports The Hindu on January 14. Work is under way at the Police Stations in Chintapalli, GK Veedhi and Hukumpeta. “At Chintapalli and GK Veedhi, about 80 per cent of the work is over. At Hukumpeta, we are midway through. They should be ready in a couple of months,” said Superintendent of Police (SP), Visakhapatnam, Koya Praveen. Six other Police Stations had been identified and work would commence shortly, he added. The District Police have already spent INR 20 million to modernise and upgrade the infrastructure at GK Veedhi and Sileru Police Stations. “At most of our Police Stations in the Agency areas, especially those near the AOB, we maintain a contingent of para-military force. Modernisation has been done to provide a good ambience for their living,” said Dr. Praveen. The District Police are also assisting contractors appointed by the administration to lay roads in the interior areas by providing them security. “Infrastructure building, especially road connectivity, plays an important role in reducing the influence of insurgents in the tribal hamlets,” the SP said. In the first phase, a 7-km road is being laid from Annavaram to Rallagedda in Chintapalli mandal (administrative unit). Later, it will be linked to Korukonda, covering a distance of about 30-km. On formation of a tribal battalion to tackle the Maoists, the SP said, “As of now, there is no information available with us on this matter. But, we have sent a proposal to recruit about 200 tribal people under the Home Guard scheme. This is only to provide livelihood to them.” According to him, the Maoist-proposed community coffee farming among the tribal people in places such as Gerella, Kumkumpudi, Balapam has failed miserably Read less...

Merging Chintoor mandal (administrative unit) along with six other mandals of Khammam District that face submersion due to Polavaram project into the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh received criticism from locals and it also makes the task of controlling activities of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) much tougher for the Police, reports The Hindu. Sabari local area committee of the Maoist party’s North Telangana Special Zonal Committee (NTSZC) is active in Chintoor area and is a major trouble spot. Being on border with Chhattisgarh, Maoists have been active here. Read less...

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres retaliated to the killing of one of its senior leaders Sharath and a militia member near Korukonda shandy on October 19, 2014, after it killed a native of Veeravaram village Sanjeeva Rao, by destroying an ashram of Sanjeeva Rao’s spiritual guru Simhachalam at Gurramveedhi village in G. Madugula mandal administrative unit on January 17 night, reports The Hindu. During the October, 2014 incident Sanjeeva Rao’s guru Simhachalam escaped from being tried at a ‘praja court’ while the Maoists were attacked. The Maoists had also beaten up six persons in the Ashram and burnt down furniture and other material and a shed and some vehicles. An earth-moving equipment engaged in laying a nearby road was also set on fire. The Korukonda local area committee was responsible for the incident. Along with some Maoists, a large number of militia members and sympathisers allegedly participated in the incident. They reportedly left pamphlets and hung a banner saying that the Ashram was attacked in retaliation to the killing of Sharat and the militia member and that Simhachalam would not be spared. Read less...

34 sympathisers of the CPI-Maoist militia surrendered before the Superintendent of Police (SP) M. Ravi Prakash at Rajavommangi in East Godavari District on January 21, reports The Hindu. These sympathisers had been associated with Maoists for the last 10 years and engaged themselves in jobs like providing food, medicines and groceries to Maoists. Of the surrendered sympathisers, 13 were from villages under the Zaddangi Police Station and the remaining were from villages under Rajavommangi Police Station. Read less...

Andhra Pradesh Government will strengthen Police machinery in various Districts to curtail crime rate and be prepared to meet any crisis situation, reports The Hindu on January 22. As part of the plan, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister China Rajappa has said armed police battalions in some areas and police sub-divisions in some other areas will be set up. In the new capital area, a special police sub-division was proposed at Tullur comprising Pedakurapadu, Tullur and Amaravati mandals for better coordination of law and order in the capital region. Of the 13 Districts in the State, only eight Districts have armed battalions and West Godavari, Prakasam, Chittoor, Krishna and Srikakulam Districts do not have any battalions and proposals had been sent to the Centre seeking approval for five battalions. Centre gave permission for four battalions but sanctioned two and one of them would be set up at Vijayawada and another one would be allotted to one of the Rayalaseema Districts. State was awaiting sanction of two more battalions, he said. A special company of armed police would be set up for seven mandals of Khammam merged into Andhra Pradesh. As these mandals were close to the border of Chhattisgarh with Maoist influence, Government decided to have a company of Policemen stationed at one of these mandals for future requirements and the Centre also cleared the proposal. Meanwhile, Government is also considering to set up a police sub-division for these seven mandals. But as three of these mandals are in West Godavari and four in East Godavari, technically issues may crop up, sources said. For the present mandals merged in East Godavari were brought under Rampachodavaram sub division and mandals merged in West Godavari under Jangareddygudem sub-division. Read less...

Five persons were reportedly taken into custody in connection with the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) attack on an Ashramam in G. Madugula mandal (administrative unit) in Visakhapatnam District in the night of January 17, reports The Hindu on January 22. Armed Maoists led a few hundred militia members and sympathisers in the attack on the Ashramam, belonging to one Simhachalam who escaped from being tried at a Praja court (Kangaroo Court). Simhachalam escaped after his supporters and others reportedly lynched to death a Maoist leader Sharath. Read less...