Maoists set ablaze Telangana bus after asking passengers to deboard

Suspected CPI (Maoists) ultras torched a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation bus at Sarivela village after asking the passengers to alight, the police said Wednesday. The incident occurred at the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana-Chhattisgarh tri-junction late Tuesday night, they said.

"The front portion of the bus was partly damaged in the incident. None of the passengers or crew was harmed," Superintendent of Police Vishal Gunni said. As 'Maoist Week' was being observed now, a vigil in the region has been stepped up, the SP added.

Police sources suspect that the outlawed group resorted to the act to make its presence felt ahead of the bandh called by the ultras on January 31 in protest against the Centre's "repressive measures" against the outfit.