3 Maoists, one sympathiser held in Telangana

Three alleged Maoists and a sympathiser were today arrested from Malkapalli village in the district, police said.
Eturnagaram police arrested the Maoist trio, all members of the Karimnagar-Khammam-Warangal (KKW) Committee, and the sympathiser in the wee hours today, Warangal (rural) Superintendent of Police Ambar Kishor Jha confirmed.
The three arrested ultras were identified as Kovasi Ganga (23), Vetti Bheemalu (20) and Deme Kistaiah (30). All of them hail from Chhattisgarh. According to police, Kovasi had been underground since 2010 and is the assistant commander of the armed squad.
"The Maoist sympathiser identified as Shekhar was arrested for allegedly providing shelter to the trio at his residence in Malkapalli village located on the border of Karimnagar district in Telangana," Jha said.

Police have recovered a rifle and some other material from the location.
"We had information that the three Maoists were hiding at Shekhar's residence, after which the village was besieged about 2 am and the house was raided. All four accused were taken into custody," he said.
The arrests have come in the wake of the killing of two Maoists, including a woman, in an alleged exchange of fire with police in a forest area of Telangana's Warangal district on Tuesday. Police forces have launched a combing operation in the surrounding areas.
"Combing is still going on in the areas to trace the Maoists. Local villages are being searched and vehicles moving towards Eturnagaram and Hyderabad are being checked," Jha said.