Maoists free two tribals in Andhra Pradesh

HYDERABAD - The Maoists have released two tribals five days after kidnapping them from forests in Andhra Pradesh’s Warangal district, police said Monday. Another abducted person is still in their custody.

Sammaiah and Chiranjeevi, the two tribals who were kidnapped by the Maoists from Tupakulagudem and Eturanagaram areas respectively, reached their homes Monday. They said they were released in Mahadevapur forests.

Sammaiah, a ration shop dealer, and Chiranjeevi, a boat operator, were kidnapped by the rebels late Dec 1 on the suspicion that they were acting as police informers.

There was no word about the whereabouts of another fisherman, Bhaskar, who was kidnapped from the same district, police said.

The rebels killed three people and kidnapped three others in separate incidents in Warangal and Karimnagar districts on the Dec 1 night.

Police said the incidents were an attempt by the Maoists to make a comeback in north Telangana region, their former stronghold.