Date:03/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/06/03/stories/2005060313050400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

2 Maoists, 4 Virasam members held

Staff Reporter

A prize catch: Maoists and Virasam members who were arrested at Arsapally in Nizamabad district on Thursday.

NIZAMABAD: The Nizamabad police arrested two top level CPI (Maoist) leaders and four Viplava Rachayitala Sangham (Virasam) members at Arsapally on the outskirts of the town this afternoon.

The arrested included the CPI (Maoist) State Committee member, Ganti Prasadam alias Prabhakar and the former District Committee Secretary of Cuddapah, Yamasani Surender alias Venkanna alias Sudarshanam.

Forty two year-old Surender is presently working in the party under the supervision of Prasadam. The former is native of Mallampally in Warangal district, while the latter aged about 56 is native of Narasannapet of Srikakulam district.

Both were involved in several naxalite related violent activities in Guntur, Prakasam, Kurnool, Cuddapah and Chittore districts.

The rest of four are Virasam members: Nelletla Venugopal, a senior journalist, Vannam Chennaiah, a lecturer in Jawahar Bharati Degree College, Kavali in Nellore district, the Arunatara editor, Gottimukkala Pinakapani and Soma Ravikumar.

Suspicious movement

Giving details at a press conference here, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Anjani Kumar, said the police arrested them when they were moving suspiciously at Arspally village. On being interrogated they disclosed their identities, he explained.

While the DIG claimed that they were arrested this afternoon in the district, the naxalite leader, Ganti Prasadam, told reporters that they were picked up by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh police from a guest house in Aurangabad city in Maharashtra on May 31.

Mr. Anjanikumar said the police suspected that the naxalites before being arrested deliberated for two days for a conspiracy. "It will come out in further interrogation. The naxalites will be produced in a court tomorrow,'' he said.

A lot of revolutionary and party literature and important documents relating to party affairs and meetings in Nallamala region and Rs.56,780 were recovered from them, the DIG said.

Meet at Aurangabad

According to a report from Hyderabad, a press release from the Director- General of Police said that the two senior Maoist leaders along with the Virasam members met at Aurangabad to take stock of the activities of Virasam on being directed by the leaders and planned their future course of action. "They deliberated upon the conspiracy to act against the State and were returning to proceed to Nallamala forest area," the note added.

Yamasani Surender worked under direct supervision of Ganti Prasadam, the press note claimed. Nelletla Venugopal, journalist, worked with Veekshana Telugu weekly while Vannam Chenchaiah, Gotumukkala Pinakani and Soma Ravi worked under direct supervision of Surender and Prasadam, the press note added.