Date:10/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/10/stories/2004051001180500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Probe Congress leaders' links with criminals: TDP

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, MAY 9. District Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders have alleged that top leaders of the State Congress are behind the gang which has been indulging in abductions in Karnataka for ransom and planning elimination of TDP leaders. They have demanded a CBI probe into the activities of the gang.

Talking to newspersons last night, the TDP leaders -- Paritala Ravindra, P. Keshav, B. K. Parthasarathi and V. Hanumantharaya Chowdary - alleged that several faction leaders of the Congress in the district had formed into a gang and planned elimination of TDP leaders. They charged the Congress leaders with abducting rich people and demanding hefty ransom and then setting aside a share of the money to eliminate TDP leaders and utilise the rest for the poll expenses of Congress candidates. The Karnataka police had announced this after nabbing five members of the gang recently, they added. In this connection they named a few Congress leaders of the district.

The State Congress bigwigs were carrying out the task of eliminating TDP leaders at the hands of the gang. The gang had already killed 12 TDP men in at various places.