Andhra University professor arrested in Vizag for ‘supplying’ arms to Maoist
Visakhapatnam: The Vizag Rural Police has arrested an associate professor of Telugu of the Andhra University, Mr Jarra Appa Rao, and three others for allegedly supplying explosives to CPI Maoists.
The arrest has shocked the university community and Mr Rao’s friends and relatives. This is the first time that a faculty member of AU has been picked up by the police from the campus for having Maoist links.
Superintendent of police (Visakha Rural) Koyya Praveen and ASP (Operations) Vishal Gunni, meanwhile, said that Mr Rao was arrested late on Wednesday night as they had concrete information.
The police claimed that Mr Rao was one of the Maoists’ links for logistic support and for procurement of soft and hard goods, including detonators and ammonia nitrate for explosives.
The three others arrested for allegedly supplying explosives to CPI Maoists were identified as Mr V Prasad (34), Mr G. Subbaraju (32) and Mr K. Jagadeesh Reddy.
Talking to reporters later, Koyya Praveen said that acting on a tip-off, the Narsipatnam police had intercepted a car and arrested Mr Prasad and Mr Subbaraju and seized 500 electrical detonators, 100 ordinary detonators, 300 kg ammonium nitrate, a Samsung tablet and three mobiles phones.
Based on information from the duo, the cops arrested Mr Rao in Vizag and Mr K. Jagadeesh Reddy in Kakinada on Wednesday night.
The rural police chief said that Mr Appa Rao and the others had procured the explosive material from Kathipadu area of East Godavari district and were planned to dump the same in Narispatnam and later supply them to Maoists.
“We have information that K. Jagadeesh Reddy and one more man was acting as raising contractors for laterite mining in Rajapakala area and supplying explosives to tribals. But the final destination of the explosives was Maoists and Appa Rao was playing mediator to supply the logistics,” said Koyya Praveen.
“We have also verified the cell phone data of the arrested four persons. The entire call data has matched and we are trying to get more evidence to prove the offence of Appa Rao,” said the cps.
A case has been registered at Narsipatnam Town Police Station under Sections of 120 (B), 121 and 109 of IPC, Section 46 of Explosive Substance Act 1908, Section 8 (Clause 1 and 2) of APSS Act, Section 4 of PD Act and few others.
Police said that Mr Appa Rao (44) was a tribal and native of Korrapalle area under G Madugula mandal. He had been working as professor at AU since 2007.
