Maoists make a comeback in Nallamala

MAHBUBNAGAR/NIZAMABAD: As if the apprehensions over the entry of Maoists into north Telangana districts aren't enough, there are some reports that the rebels have made incursions into the thick Nallamala forests also, giving sleepless night to the cops.

If sources are to be believed, special dalams led by Maoist commander Bontha Parvathamma entered the Nallamala zone as part of the PLGA week celebrations. Sources said Parvathamma had sneaked into the Nallamala from Chhattisgarh where she has been operating for some years. "The Maoist leadership is going all out to make its presence felt in the areas where its leaders and cadres were driven out six years ago," sources said.

Parvathamma, who belongs to Lakshmapur village in Amrabad mandal of Mahbubnagar district, went underground after her husband Lingaiah was shot dead in an encounter 12 years ago in Yendabhatla forests in Nagarkurnool mandal. She shifted her base to Chhattisgarh and took part in famine raids and attacks on police stations.

Sources said she was sent back by the Maoist leadership to establish the cadre base in Nallamala region. Atchampet CI Kishan said they have noticed the movements of some dalams deep inside the jungles and interior villages. "We have intensified combing to flush out the rebels," he said. Senior police officials however ruled out the presence of a large number of armed dalams in Nallamala.

Meanwhile, after a gap of 5-6 years, Maoist movement was seen in Nizamabad and Karimnagar border areas. Sources said some armed Maoists paid tributes to the martyrs' pylons in the deep forest two days ago at Uppulur village in Kammarpalli mandal in Nizamabad and Varshakonda and Dabba villages in Karimnagar district. Read More

Jagan camp calls KVP 'a broker

HYDERABAD/WARANGAL: After attacking Sonia Gandhi, the Jagan camp has turned its guns on Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's closest aide K V P Ramchandra Rao. In a letter to the Rajya Sabha MP on Friday, Jagan loyalist and Parkal MLA Konda Surekha lashed out at KVP terming him as a 'broker' who turned Jalayaganam into 'dhanayagnam.' She also questioned KVP's silence on the death of his friend YSR in a chopper crash. KVP was not available for comments.

"YSR's death is not accidental. There are apprehensions that he was murdered. As political and security advisor, you did not even bother to clarify the doubts of the people and resign from the post," she said in her four-page letter. She held KVP responsible for YSR's death as he didn't discharge his duties as government's security advisor. "If you are claiming to be the closest friend of YSR, why didn't you resign immediately after his death," she asked.

Konda Surekha stated that it was KVP who got the signatures of 153 MLAs supporting Jagan as CM after YSR's untimely death. "But you conveniently kept quiet when accusations started flying thick and fast that Jagan was behind the signature campaign to anoint himself as CM to succeed his father. You have deliberately allowed Jagan's name to be tarnished among the people," she pointed out.

She wondered what was that compelled KVP to desert YSR's son and indulge in political games. "Jagan does not need KVP as people of the state are with Jagan," she emphasised.

She also blamed KVP for the massive corruption in Jalayagnam scheme. She demanded a CBI probe into KVP's assets after he was made the government advisor. "Before your advisory role, what was your economic status?" she questioned and alleged that KVP had amassed wealth in crores in the past six years. Read More

Onion prices reached high, touch Rs 43/kg in city

HYDERABAD: Onion prices in the city have reached a new high, especially at upscale supermarkets with prices reaching as high as Rs 43 per kg, while it continues to sell between Rs 28 and Rs 36 at regular kirana/ general stores.

Though none of the supermarket managers were willing to go on record, all of them said that the price escalation has occurred in the past 72 hours, especially after the recent unseasonal rainfall across the country. The state gets its supply of onion from Maharashtra and Karnataka. Sources said the stocks from Nasik in Maharashtra is continuing to come in but the flow from the other neighbouring state has dwindled. "Hence, anticipating a shortfall in the next few days, upmarket outlets have indiscriminately jacked up the price of onion," said sources. Read More

Jagan camp hits back at Hanumanth Rao

HYDERABAD: The war of words between Congress and Jagan camp has begun. While senior leader V Hanumantha Rao alleged that Jagan pursued `sava rajakeeyalu' (politics over dead bodies) in his pursuit to grab power, Jagan's close follower Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy said Congress owes an explanation to the people when Rajiv Gandhi was made PM hours after Indira Gandhi was assassinated.

"Hectic efforts were made to anoint Rajiv as PM even when the entire nation was mourning Indira Gandhi's death. Was it not politics over dead bodies?" Chevireddy questioned.

He ridiculed VHR's claims that Jagan had forced the signatures of 153 MLAs to make him as CM even before his father YSR's body was cremated. "The MLAs voluntarily signed for Jagan who, as per high command's orders, proposed Rosaiah as CM later," he recalled. Read More

Blast at Varanasi's Dashashwamedh Ghat, 20 injured

NEW DELHI: At least 20 people including four foreigners were injured in a blast at the Dashashwamedh Ghat here during the Ganga arati around 6.30pm on Tuesday. Many others were injured in the ensuing stampede. According to official sources, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) has been recovered from a dustbin at the Varanasi blast site.
The Ganga arati, which stretches across the Shitala, Dashashwamedh and Prayag ghats, is a daily ritual attended by 2,000 to 3,000 people, many of whom are foreigners. The ghats are near the famous Vishwanath temple.
A statewide alert has been sounded, ADG Brij Lal said.
The blast on Tuesday occurred on the stairs of Dashashwamedh ghat and was so powerful that big boulders on the stairs were thrown many metres away, eyewitnesses said.
The DIG of Varanasi range, Prem Prakash, said that the crowd was targeted. The injured have been taken to various hospitals in the city, including the district hospital Read More

England crush Australia in second Test

ADELAIDE (Australia): England crushed Australia by an innings and 71 runs after a spectacular collapse of wickets early on the final day in the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday

The tourists ran through the Australians after snaring the important wicket of Mike Hussey and spinner Graeme Swann finished with five wickets for 91.

It was England's first Test victory in Adelaide since 1995 and their 100th overall against Australia.

Australia now have the difficult task of having to win two of the remaining three Tests to overhaul England and win back the Ashes they lost last year.

England are now well on track to winning an Ashes series in Australia for the first time since 1986-1987.

England thoroughly deserved their comprehensive victory after skittling Australia for 245 on Friday's first day and replying with a massive 620 for five declared, to hold a 375-run innings lead.

The tourists broke through with the big wicket of Hussey, and claimed three wickets in four balls with James Anderson removing Brad Haddin and Ryan Harris with successive balls and Marcus North following two balls later to Swann Read more

India crush New Zealand

VADODARA: Gautam Gambhir hit a second successive century as India crushed New Zealand by nine wickets in the third one-day international on Saturday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

The stand-in skipper hammered 16 fours in his unbeaten 126 off 117 balls to help his side overhaul New Zealand's 224/9 with 10.3 overs to spare in the one-sided encounter at the Reliance Stadium.

Gambhir, leading the side in place of rested regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, had also starred in India's eight-wicket win in the second one-day international in Jaipur, making an unbeaten 138 off 116 balls.

The fourth game of the five-match series will be played in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Gambhir carried his form in to the third game in Vadodara, adding 115 runs for the opening wicket with Murali Vijay (30) and another 114 for the next with Virat Kohli (63 not out). Read more

YSR fan dies of shock

VISAKHAPATNAM: An ardent fan of late CM YSR allegedly died of shock in Bayyavaram of Makavarapalem mandal in Visakhapatnam district on Monday afternoon.

Lingampalli Nookaraju, 55, a farmer, collapsed suddenly in his agriculture field when one of his friends informed him about the resignations of Jagan and his mother Vijayalakshmi from the Congress. By the time other ryots and farm workers rushed to his help, he breathed his last.

Doctors later confirmed that Nookaraju had died of cardiac arrest and sudden bout of anxiety.

Read more

Maoist terror resurfaces in Telangana

WARANGAL/HYDERABAD: Police chief Aravinda Rao's apprehensions about regrouping of Maoists in north Telangana came true on Thursday when the ultras killed two persons, including a small-time TDP leader, and set ablaze a road transport corporation (RTC) bus. The rebels also took away three villagers from Eturunagaram Agency and another from Karimnagar district, branding them as 'police informers.' Till last reports came in, there was no word on their whereabouts.

That the Maoists, who have spread a terror network in the Andhra-Orissa border (AOB), struck in the Karimnagar-Khammam-Warangal region after several years has left the cops in a state of shock. Though top police brass claimed that the incident was an isolated one carried out by Maoists taking advantage of political chaos in the state capital that kept police personnel busy, experts said the Thursday incidents were an ominous indication of more violence.

"The Maoists have infiltrated from Chhattisgarh by crossing the Godavari river at Eturunagaram border. Police cannot remain silent as the chances of more such strikes cannot be ruled out," a Naxal expert said. The Maoists have returned to this area after four years, the last recorded incident being in 2006. Read more

Gambhir leads India to easy win over New Zealand

JAIPUR: Gautam Gambhir's bowlers responded well to his call of bowling first, restricting New Zealand with smart, accurate bowling, and the captain reciprocated with a fluent 138 off 116 balls to make the chase look easy.

Gambhir, capping off a return to form that began with a struggling Test fifty in Hyderabad last month, never let his strike-rate come under 100 once he crossed the mark in the sixth over. He had for company an equally hungry Virat Kohli, who now has two centuries and a fifty in his last three international outings.

Dew, expected later in the evening, was the reason why India put New Zealand in on a cracking surface, but the towels were conspicuous by absence in the second half of the game. Which is what made the bowling effort special.

The pitch played slow and low, and India cut out the pace and the room. There was nothing spectacular done with the ball, just accurate, wicket to wicket bowling for most of the part. Martin Guptill and Scott Styris tried to take New Zealand towards a fighting total with important fifties, but India pulled the visitors back every time they threatened to break free.

New Zealand began with three boundaries in the first two overs, but Sreesanth's late swing removed Jamie How. Guptill and Kane Williamson looked solid but subdued in a 50-run stand for the second wicket. Those runs took 12.5 overs coming - all but seven of those deliveries in the Powerplay.

The duo did little to upset the bowlers' rhythm. Munaf Patel was allowed to hit the same spot again and again, with slight seam movement either way. One of those moved a bit more than expected, and found a way through Williamson's bat and pad, taking the top of off. The pressure showed when Ross Taylor went to hit Yusuf Pathan's first delivery for a six, but found deep midwicket. Read more