Maoists kill TRS leader Nalluri Srinivas

Cherla (Bhadradri -Kothagudem): Branding him as an informer, Maoists allegedly killed TRS leader and former MPTC Nalluri Srinivas. Srinivas was abducted by the Maoists from his house in Charla village on Monday night.

Attempts by police and villagers to trace Rao in the dense forests abutting Bastar region of neighbouring Chhattisgarh over last two days had proved futile.

Confirming the incident, the police said his body was found in a forest area in Sukuma district of Chhattisgarh. He is believed to have been shot dead near Tettemadugu-Puttapadu- Chanda area in Sukuma district. Maoists claimed the responsibility for the murder and left behind a letter written by party secretary Sharad next to Srinivas' body.

The slain leader's two-wheeler was also found near the body. According to police, Sharad, in the letter, stated that the Maoists killed Srinivas because he was acting as an informer and alerted about the movements of the Maoists to the police from time to time resulting in the arrest of civil rights activists.

He also said that the TRS leader had grabbed 70 acres of land from the Adivasis and harassed the dwellers on land ownership.

The police said that the killing of the TRS leader was first such instance happened in the district after the formation of Telangana. In 2014, TRS Bhadrachalam constituency in-charge Mane Ramakrishna and four others were kidnapped from Pusuguppa village of Cherlamandal in Kothagudem district. They were released unhurt after two days of their abduction.

District Superintendent of Police Sunil Dutt dismissed the Maoists claim that Srinivas was a police informer. The TRS leader earned a good reputation by serving the local adivasis. The district police strongly condemned the incident.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened for all TRS leaders in the Maoists-infested areas. They have been asked not to visit remote villages without police protection.a