Naxals carry on Kishenji vendetta, 3 hits in 24 hrs

Within nine hours of the attack on the convoy of Parliamentarian Inder Singh Namdhari, Naxals struck twice, blowing up railway tracks in Jharkhand and also setting fire to a mobile tower in Bihar's Aurangabad district.

The attacks come on the first day of the rebels’ two-day

countrywide shutdown to protest against the death of CPI(Maoist) politburo member Mollajula Koteswar Rao, alias Kishenji.

An improvised explosive device was used to blow up the tracks between Gomia and Dumri railway stations in Bokaro district, said superintendent of police Kuldip Diwedi.

Another group of around 30 rebels blew up tracks between Hehegara and Chhipadohar railway stations of Palamau and Latehar districts. The Maoists also briefly held hostage Ramchandra Bhagotia, the station master of Chhipadohar. He was let off with a warning to stop the movement of trains on the route.

In neighbouring Bihar, a group of rebels stormed into Suhi village and set fire to a mobile tower, police said.

Namdhari’s convoy was attacked in Jharkhand’s Latehar district late on Saturday night. Ten people had died in the landmine blast, one more person died on Sunday. On Friday, the Naxals had pledged to avenge Kishenji’s death during a programme to commemorate the 12th anniversary of People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army Raising Day.

They had planned to attack the nearby Garu police station since few policemen are posted there. But Namdhari’s tour had provided them with the perfect opportunity, said a senior police officer.

Hundreds pay last respects to Kishenji

Maoist sympathisers, revolutionary writers, singers, representatives of various people's organisations, civil liberties activists and hundreds other on Sunday paid their last respects to slain Maoist leader Kishenji in his hometown Peddapalli in Andhra Pradesh. People in large numbers turned up at Kishenji's house to pay their tribute and console his family members. With folded hands, the mourners were seen passing by the flower bedecked coffin amid huge police presence.

Maoist sympathisers say it was their last 'red salute' to their comrade who left his house 35 years ago to join the movement and fight for the cause of oppressed people.

The last rites of politburo member of Communist Party of India (Maoist) will be performed after 1 pm.

Led by revolutionary balladeer Gaddar, dozens of artists paid their respects by singing revolutionary songs, eulogizing the slain leader.

Kishenji's body was shifted to the town in Karimnagar district, 200 km from here, by the police late Saturday amid tight security.

Kishenji's mother Madhuramma was inconsolable on seeing the body of her son, who never met her after he went into hiding over three decades ago.

Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishenji, who was number three in Communist Party of India (Maoist), was gunned down by security forces on Thursday in West Bengal's Burishole, 10 km from the border with Jharkhand.

Kishenji's former comrades in the movement, his friends in school and college were among those who paid their last respects.

Police took control of the body as soon as it arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad, about 25 km from Hyderabad, on Saturday night.

Police foiled the attempts of Maoist sympathisers to take the body into the city and keep it at Tank Bund to enable people to pay their last respects.

Kishenji's niece Deepa Rao and Maoist sympathiser Varvara Rao, who accompanied the body from Kolkata, lodged their strong protest against the police attitude.

"They not only killed him in cold blood but are also denying us the right to pay our last respects and perform his last rites the way we want to do it," said Rao.

Kishenji shot six times: Autopsy

The bullets hit him in the chin, head, chest and other parts of the body, doctors, who

conducted the autopsy, said. One of the shots appeared to have been fired from long-range of around 500 m, they added.

A team of forensic experts have also found some gunpowder leftover on his hand which indicates that he was using firearms to defend himself during the encounter at Burisole jungle on Thursday.

Kishenji's body was identified by his niece Deepa Rao at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital morgue after which it was sent by an ambulance to Kolkata prior to being flown to his home in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.

Telegu poet and Maoist sympathiser Varvara Rao has claimed that Kishenji was killed in a fake encounter. The West Bengal government has entrusted the CID to investigate the killing, official sources said.