HYDERABAD: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which conducted searches at 31 locations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Wednesday against Maoist supporters, has seized Rs 10 lakh in cash, sickles, axes, machetes, electronic devices and other incriminating material. The searches were in connection with a case registered by the agency based on a case registered at Munchingput police station in Visakhapatnam district. Till now, six people have been arrested in the case.
In Telangana, searches were carried out at seven locations in Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Medak districts and Medchal-Malkajgiri and Medak, in the case relating to furthering the activities of the proscribed CPI (Maoist) in Andhra Pradesh in the guise of frontal organizations.
During the searches, 40 mobile phones, 44 SIM cards, 70 storage devices like hard discs, Micro SD cards, flash cards, 184 CDs and DVDs, 19 pen drives, one tab, audio recorder, Rs 10 lakh in cash from one of the accused were seized. The agency also seized sickles, axes, machetes besides CPI (Maoist) flags, as well as a huge number of incriminating documents, handwritten letters of CPI(Maoist), party literature, CPI(Maoist) press notes.
The case was originally registered at Munchingput, Visakhapatnam (Rural) District in November 2020 and was re-registered by the NIA in March 2021. The case pertains to seizure of revolutionary literature of CPI (Maoist), press notes, medicines, wire bundles and explosives substances from Pangi Naganna, who was intercepted by Munchingput Police during vehicle checking.
Investigations revealed that Pangi Naganna had been ostensibly working as a journalist and was passing information about police movements to leaders of the CPI(Maoist). He has also been involved in instigating villagers to obstruct combing operations of police and prevent them from entering their into villages. He was also allegedly motivating villagers to revolt against police parties and hold rallies against the government.
The NIA had till now arrested Pangi Naganna, Anduluri Annapurna, Jangarla Koteswar Rao, Manukonda Srinivasa Rao, Rela Rajeswari and Boppudi Anjamma, all belonging to Andhra Pradesh, in this case. Further investigation in the case continues, the agency said.