Visakhapatnam: Search on for kidnapped politicians

Visakhapatnam: Uncertainty shrouds the release of the three TD leaders who were kidnapped by Maoists at GK Veedhi in the Vizag Agency area on Monday evening.

A group of teachers from the Tribal Teachers Association who went to negotiate with the Maoists for the release of the trio came back empty-handed on Wednesday. Sources said that the association had failed in its effort to secure the release of the TD leaders without conditions.

The teachers refused to speak to the media. However, SP (Visakha Rural) Dr Koya Praveen who had gone to Chintapalle said the police did not know that the teachers had gone to talk to the Maoists.

A  team of media personnel have entered the forests on Wednesday and are yet to return.

Local TD leaders M. Balaiah Padal, V. Balaiah and M. Mahesh had been kidnapped by the Maoists who demanded that the state government withdraw its proposal to mine the area for bauxite.

Some TD leaders have fled the Agency area for Visakhapatnam city, while a few others have headed to Narsipatnam, a relatively safe area.

The Vizag Rural police chief appealed to the leaders of all political parties not to venture into the  Agency area without informing the police.