Police unilaterally opened fire on Jan 16, claim eyewitnesses

Amid uncertainty over resumption of peace talks in Andhra Pradesh, three eyewitnesses to a recent police encounter today caused embarrassment to the government by claiming that during the January 16 encounter in Warangal district the policemen had 'unilaterally opened fire and killed two unarmed activists of Telangana movement'.

The eyewitnesses, A Bhumaiah, N Dharmapal and Maddileti, who are associated with a fringe pro-Telangana organisation 'Telangana Jana Sabha', appeared before the media here along with revolutionary Balladeer Gadar and narrated their experience and close encounter with death.

"We were holding discussions with Maoist leaders in deep forest area in Warangal district when a police party suddenly descended on the scene and started firing. While we managed to escape, along with armed members of Maoist organisations, two of our friends were caught by police and shot dead," eyewitnesses said.

The deceased were identified as K Vasanth, a Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) worker who had long association with naxalite groups in the past, and Sudarshan of Telangana Jana Sabha.

The eyewitnesses claimed that the police action amounted to clear violation of ceasefire agreement which prohibits combing operations in deep forests.

"We had gone to the forests to meet Maoist leaders and to urge them to continue peace talks with the government. When police started firing, we retreated into the forests while Vasanth and Santosh refused to leave the place arguing that police will not harm them as they are not naxalites.

"But the policemen caught them and shot them dead," the eyewitnesses said.

Meanwhile, evolutionary Balladeer Gadar, who was present at the press conference, demanded a criminal case be booked against Warangal district superintendent of police S Ravindra for ordering 'fake' police encounter.