A cache of explosive materials was seized from a Maoist dump in Dodla forest area of Eturunagaram mandal by a combined team of local police and personnel of the CRPF 39 (D) Battalion on Monday evening.
Acting on a tip-off, the joint team along with a bomb disposal squad carried out a search in the dense forest area near Dodla village and unearthed a Maoist dump in thick bushes in the forest terrain, police said.
It contained 10 gelatin sticks and an equal number of detonators, three claymore mines, 33 SLR live rounds, one each empty cartridges of SLR and AK-47 rifles, one battery, 100-metre electric wire bundle and two kg nails.
Giving the details of the recovery of Maoist dump at a press conference in Mulugu on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police Sangram Singh Patil said the dalam members of the CPI (Maoist) Eturunagaram-Mahadevpur committee concealed explosives in Dodla reserve forest area at the behest of some top leaders of the banned outfit to kill combing police parties.
There have been several incidents in which innocent people and cattle died due to the explosion of landmines planted by the rebels of the outlawed organisation, the SP said adding a tribal man was killed in an explosion at Mukunurpalem in 2019 when he ventured into the forest area for bamboo.
He said there is a fear among the tribals, and some of them don’t report such incidents. Any support or logistics provided to Maoists will be strictly dealt with, the SP warned. “I appeal to youth not to fall prey to false propaganda of Maoists and take benefit of different educational and various other schemes of the government schems to tread the path of progress and develop their villages,” the SP said.
