6 TRS leaders 'detained' by Maoists in Chateesgarh

Six local leaders of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) from Khammam district of the state have been allegedly held up by Maoists in the neighbouring Chhattisgarh state, police said today. TRS Bhadrachalam constituency in-charge M Ramakrishna and five others had gone to Pusuguppa village in Charla mandal of Khammam district yesterday, a village located on the border and 5 km from Chhattisgarh, from where they were called for a meeting by the Maoists, they said. "We have received information that these six people were called up by the ultras to hold discussion on some issues last evening and they are allegedly in custody of the Maoists," Khammam district Superintendent of Police Shahnawaz Qasim told PTI over phone. "What are those issues we don't know. For discussion on some issues they were called for a meeting...It can be known only once they come back," the SP said, adding, "It cannot be termed as abduction or holding hostage." The senior police officer further said "a letter in the name of CPI (Maoist) has mentioned that six people have come to us and we are discussing with them." In the letter, the ultras accused the state government of carrying out anti-people work and termed the killing of two persons (Maoists) in an exchange of fire with the police in Warangal district in September as "fake" encounters. They also sought stopping of combing operations. Meanwhile, around 60 villagers have gone towards the area in Chhattisgarh to protest against the move of the Maoists. Last month, three local leaders of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were allegedly held captive by Maoists in Visakhapatnam after summoning them, though they subsequently reached their homes after few days.