Factionists move to cities

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad. July 18: A survey conducted by the State police has revealed that hundreds of faction leaders had moved away from villages of Rayalaseema region to cities in the State and outside.

The exodus has been going on the last six years and police realised this while collecting data to formulate a long term strategy to curtail faction killings in the region.

However, police are not letting down their guard and are focusing on collecting information on faction leaders, their sources of funds, legal assistance and those who provide shelter to them.

“We have also decided to conduct checks in faction-prone villages to find out the reasons for absence of factionists,” said the senior police officer. “We have to find out whether they are indulging in offences in other parts of the State too.”

Factionist leaders travel in convoys of jeeps or cars with their henchmen and weapons. “Police will check on such convoys moving in highways leading to Rayalaseema to control faction killings,” the officer said.