AP: Naxal fear haunts IPS men

A senior Naxalite commander known as Comrade Kosa addresses about 5,000 tribal militiamen and supporters at an April rally near Bastar, India

Hyderabad, Aug. 30: IPS officers who earlier worked in Naxal-hit areas and now in the loopline are now feeling the heat due a series of steps taken by the police department.
It all started with the transfer of officers who are in the Naxal hitlist in police training centres, police academies and in non-focal jobs where they are provided less security when compared to mainstream cops.

SP Mahesh Chandra Ladda, who escaped a Maoist attack in Ongole town while serving as Prakasam SP, was posted as head of Police Training Centre in Warangal. Similarly, Mr Madhsudhan Reddy, who was Nizamabad SP during Manala encounter, was posted as Vizaianagaram PTC head.

The Andhra-Orissa border, including Vizainagaram, is still the hotbed of Naxal movement. Warangal was once the epicentre of Naxalism in North Telangana region.
A senior police officer said, “When IPS officers are unit heads, they can manage their own security. But in loopline, they may become easy prey to Naxals.”
Even the AP Police Academy has no compound wall now. Due to the Outer Ring Road work, the compound wall has been partly removed and it poses a serious threat to officers posted at the academy.

The IPS officers who are posted in APPA has to travel 25 km to reach their office. On the route, they are exposed to attacks. After the death of armed constable P. Muralinath, the police headquarters issued orders stripping senior cops of additional cars which they were using. The extra gunmen of senior IPS officer, Mr T. Krishna Prasad, were removed recently. “Old bullet-proof cars often bre- ak down. We need to board the other car following us. Now, there is no option. We have to take an autorickshaw,” said an IPS official. DC