Pressure mine planted by Maoists explodes, injures a cow in Kothagudem

Cherla police, Kothagudem special party personnel and bomb disposal team found two more pressure mines at the incident site and defused them on the spot.

Kothagudem: A cow was injured seriously after a pressure mine allegedly planted by the banned CPI (Maoist) party exploded in the forests of Pusuguppa in Cherla mandal in the district on Monday.

The incident took place when the cow belonging to a tribal, Madivi Muddaiah of Pusuguppa village, went into the forest for grazing. The Cherla police with the help of the veterinary hospital staff provided treatment to the injured cow.

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On Tuesday, Cherla police, Kothagudem special party personnel and bomb disposal team found two more pressure mines at the incident site and defused them on the spot, Bhadrachalam ASP B Rohith Raj said.

Over the past year, Maoists have targetted the police by planting pressure bombs on the sides of roads in agency areas, on podu lands, near villages and in forest areas close to the villages where tribal’s cattle graze. Three cows died while a man and two cows were injured as the bombs accidentally exploded.

In the wake of the series of incidents, the adivasis were scared to go into the forest for agriculture work and graze their cattle in the forests. Despite the death and injury of many tribals and their cattle due to pressure bombs, the Maoists were planting the bombs undermining the lives of the tribals and their cattle, the ASP said.