Thursday, January 27 2005 11:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hyderabad: Stepping up their violence, naxalites shot dead a former sarpanch and an advocate and triggered a landmine blast targeting a bus carrying policemen and teachers, leaving ten persons injured, police said in Hyderabad today (Jan 27, 2005).

A former sarpanch belonging to ruling Congress, Lingaiah, was gunned down by Maoists at Bopparam village in the backward Adilabad district today, police said.

In another incident, ten persons were injured when the naxals set off a landmine blast, targetting a state Road Transport Corporation bus this morning. The driver of the bus was among the injured, police said adding that an exchange of fire followed soon between Maoists and the police.

The bus, carrying 55 passengers, majority of them policemen, was also partially damaged in the incident.

Meanwhile, CPI-Maoist (Communist Party of India) naxals shot dead an advocate at Gummmanampadu village also in Guntur district last night, (Jan 26, 2005) police added.

The ultras had branded the advocate A Ravi as a police informer and also alleged that he collected money from the people pretending to be a Maoist.

The advocate was involved in criminal activities, police added.