The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Gang held on extortion charge; pipe bombs, knives seized

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 28, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Gang held on extortion charge; pipe bombs, knives seized

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB. 27. Seven members of a gang, who allegedly used to extort money from people claiming themselves as naxalites, were arrested by the Sanathnagar police on Sunday.

Two pipe bombs, four knives and an air pistol were seized, the Balanagar ACP, M. Satyanarayana Reddy, said at a press conference here.

The gang confessed to the police that they had come to the city to kidnap a poultry farm owner, Venkata Narayana. Mr. Narayana and his brother-in-law, Mallesh, were running a poultry farm at Torrur of Warangal district. Following a monetary dispute, Mallesh got Narayana kidnapped by the gang.

However, on learning that the police were on the lookout for them, the kidnappers set free Mr. Narayana after the latter assured to pay them Rs. 1 lakh. After his release, Mr. Narayana abandoned his business and settled at Avanthinagarthota of Sanathnagar.

Gang members told the police that they came here to kidnap Mr. Narayana for second time as he did not pay them the ransom.

The alleged mastermind of the kidnap, K. Raji Reddy, was rounded up in the early hours while moving under suspicious circumstances at Sanathnagar crossroads. During interrogation, he admitted that six other associates were at Bharatnagar railway station. The arrested persons were: G. Srinu, Ch. Venkataswamy, Isthar Venu, K. Ramesh, B. Rathaiah and G. Anjaneyulu.

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