Visakhapatnam: Associate professor J. Appa Rao’s wife J. Mynavathi, his two children aged four and six, along with Andhra University students and professors, who boycotted classes, protested his arrest on charges of supplying logistics support to Maoists on Thursday.
Sitting in front of the district police office here, they demanded his immediate release without registering. The protest began at 10 am and continued till 8 pm.
After police refused to allow Ms Mynavathi to meet her husband, they went on a protest march to the university’s administrative building. Speaking of the arrest, Ms Mynavathi said that she and her husband came out of their home at the AU quarters at around 1 am after hearing a commotion. More than 10 people barged in and shoved Mr Rao into their vehicle. They claimed they were from a special department and that their “sir” wanted to speak with him.
Suspecting it to be kidnapping, Ms Mynavathi approached III Town Police to register a kidnap case.
“After a few hours, Vizag rural SP Koyya Praveen told newsmen that my husband was arrested on the charge of supplying explosives to Maoists,” she said.
Denying her spouse’s involvement, she said, “My husband hails from a humble background and always helps poor students.”
“Prof. Rao was actively involved in the tribal rights movements. Of late, he was said to be more involved in academic activities and guiding students,” said Prof. G. Yohan Babu of Telugu department.
A part of the academia feels that Mr Rao’s vociferous opposition of the proposed bauxite mining in Vizag Agency led to his arrest.
Telugu department students said, “His guidance and financial support helped 50 students to qualify for Junior Research Fellowships after appearing for the National Eligibility Test.
Explosives seized from other two accused
The three others arrested for allegedly supplying explosives to CPI Maoists were identified as V. Prasad, G. Subbaraju, and K. Jagadeesh Reddy.
Mr 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 tablet and three mobile 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 Rao and the others had procured the explosive material from Kathipadu of East Godavari district and were planning to dump it in Narispatnam and later supply it to Maoists. A case has been booked.
