SEELERU (Visakhapatnam): Top police officials believe that the kidnap of Malkangiri collector R Vineela Krishna was executed by the Korukonda area committee, which has spread terror among the Visakhapatnam district tribals by killing 14 `police informers' in a span of three months recently. The committee, led by Epe Narayana alias Narender alias Krishna of Illendu in Khammam district, is one of the most dreaded committees in AOB. After Cheruvuru encounter when the Maoists suffered a blow by losing four of their comrades, the Korukonda area committee and the east division platoon members shifted their camp to Janbai area. Janbai is 34 km from Seeleru on the Andhra Pradesh side via Chitrakonda.
There are more than 200 villages in Gumma block, which are `adopted' by the Maoists. The village of Pipparametta where the collector was kidnapped is 5-7 km from Bodapodar in Gumma block. "The collector knew that Gumma block is a stronghold of the Maoists. He had unnecessarily ventured into the place without security cover. He assumed that the rebels would not trouble him as he was taking up welfare activities for the poor tribals in the area. But the Maoists were waiting for an opportunity to abduct a top official through whom they could bargain," police sources said.
Sources averred that east division secretary Bakuri Venkata Ramana alias Ganesh and other guerrillas camped in the area for the past one-and-half months. "Even local Orissa security forces avoid venturing into the area for fear of being ambushed by the Naxalites," a source said. From Essar pipeline, which is two km ahead of Chitrakonda, to Bodapodar 15-20 village on the right side of the road are known strongholds of the Maoists, who also have a strong intelligence network.
Experts said Maoists were desperate to protect their stronghold following the heavy deployment of forces in the area. Malkangiri district is a key junction for them as it has connects west Bastar of Chhattisgarh, East Godavari and Khammam of AP in south, Koraput in the north and a portion of Koraput and Visakhapatnam, East Godavari in the east. The district has a population of 4.8 lakhs as per the 2001 census in 108 gram panchayats (928 villages). Among them, 50 villages continue to be uninhabited.
Sources said the Malkangiri Maoist division is headed by Bellam Narayana alias Damodar alias Satya Prakash of Cherlapally in Bathalapally mandal of Anantapur district. The division has three area committees -- Pappuluru, Motu and Kalimela -- and other local squads besides a few platoons. The other strong division in the AOB is Malkangiri-Koraput border division led by Gajarala Ravi alias Ganesh alias Uday of Velishala village in Chityal mandal of Warangal district.
"After Dandakaranya special zonal committee, this part of AOB is their stronghold," a senior police officer involved in anti-insurgency activities told TOI. Each DCM and section commander in the platoons carry one wireless set and sometimes police conversations are also intercepted by the Maoist leaders. Each platoon reportedly carries nine sets and all zonal committee members and divisional committee members and commanders carry spare batteries too. "Some of the top rung leaders in the SZC have laptops to plan ambushes and attacks," sources said.
Meanwhile, a red alert has been sounded in all the 11 Agency mandals in Vizag after the kidnap of the collector. Chintapalli, G K Veedhi, Pedabayalu, G Madugula and Munchingput mandals share the border with Orissa side.
