Police diffuse 4 landmines in Vizag Agency area

Visakhapatnam: The bomb disposal team of Visakhapatnam Rural police diffused four high capacity landmines planted near Nurmathi Armed Outpost in the Agency area on Thursday. Surprisingly, the Maoists planted the landmines very close to the Tribal Welfare Ashram School for Girls hostel. The well alerted police personnel detected the landmines with remote sensor unit and called up the bomb disposal team to clear the explosives.

Superintendent of Police (Vizag Rural) A Babuji monitored the disposal of explosives. Speaking on the occasion, Babuji said that police as part of Grama Darsini programme, have been visiting various interior tribal villages and organising several programmes involving the locals.

The police were also conducting various job-oriented skill development progrmames to the tribals. Unable to digest Grama Darsini programmes, the Maoists planted over 10 kgs of four landmines to create a panic like situation. If, the landmines exploded, several girls in hostel would have died, the SP said.

The police identified a group of Maoists, who planted the landmines, V Prabhakar, K Srikanth, K Pandu, V Karthik, K Lachha and V Malleswara Rao of Kundram village and O Bheemudu, P Abraham, K Sattibabu, K Sitaram, G Prakash, V Ramu, P Chinna, P Linga of Vakapalli village and V Malleswara Rao, Santhi, Swarna, Sujatha and Vivek. All the members belonged to Pedabayalu Area Committee, the SP said and added that two suspected Maoists were taken into custody for interrogation.