VISAKHAPATNAM: A day after Maoists gunned down Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former legislator Siveri Soma, top intelligence brass led by additional DG AB Venkateswara Rao landed in the Maoistinfested Agency area on Monday to take stock of the situation.The intelligence additional DG, who visited the spot where the MLA and ex-MLA were killed and later inspected Dumbriguda and Araku police stations which came under the attack by mobs, told TOI that they are looking at what went wrong. “We are gathering inputs as to what were the lapses and where did the police fail in following standard operating procedures (SOPs). We are also checking out as to why the two people’s representatives have failed to follow the instructions,” he said.Even as the intelligence got into the thick of the probe, the government launched another investigation by appointing a senior IPS officer who dealt with anti-Maoist operations to look into the circumstances that led to the killings. The officer began his probe on Monday.The alleged high-handedness of Dumbriguda SI Aman Rao, who was suspended by Visakhapatnam rural SP Rahul Deve Sharma, will also be probed along with that of senior cops. Senior officials said that people of the area have developed a grudge against the Dumbriguda SI for his alleged harassment of motorists and transport traders and seeking mamools.On condition of anonymity, a show owner told TOI that Aman Rao collected money and harass people under Araku PS limits though his juridiction was in Dumbriguda.Four days prior to the attack on Sunday, homeguards from Anantagiri visited the Livitiputtu and chanced upon suspicious movements of a woman Maoist and duly brought it to the notice of Anantagiri police officials who, in turn, passed on the information to his counterpart at Dumbriguda. “It seems the Dumbriguda police officials had failed to act on this,” sources said.Cops are also verifying as to why Sarveswara Rao and Soma went to Dumbriguda. Though it was said they were headed to attend a grama darshini programme, it is said that they were scheduled to meet some persons in Sarai, a troubled village, where Soma was beaten up in 2011 over mining row.

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