Cops: NGRI ‘Maoist’ hobnobbed with top gun Ganapathy
Srinath Vudali | TNN | Dec 25, 2018, 07:45 IST
Representative imageHYDERABAD: Arrested National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) explosives expert N Venkat Rao, alias Naxal Murthy, reportedly had links with CPI-Maoist brass, including former general secretary Ganapathy, according to sources.
Venkat Rao, who is a senior technical assistant (explosives) with the CSIR institute, was reportedly nabbed at Chabuknala junction in Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh on Sunday. Police found Maoist literature, a cell phone, two wireless sets and 23 detonators in his possession.
Also, the investigators found a letter written in Telugu, purportedly by a contractor from Telangana to the Maoist leadership, on him.
“He had direct links with Central Committee members, especially Deepak Teltumbde and Central Military Commission (CMC) chairman Devji. He met the duo and even held deliberations on various issues in the Bastar forest in 2016 and 2017,” credible sources in Chhattisgarh police, who are part of the investigation team, told TOI.
“Murthy acted as a courier between Muppala Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathi and people part of the alleged ‘urban naxal network’ like Revolutionary Writers’ Association (RWA) members Varavara Rao and others. Since Venkat Rao is a central government employee, no one suspected he had any links with Maoist party that too top leadership. Even we are surprised how he managed for such a long time without coming under police scanner until surrendered Maoist Pahad Singh confessed some days ago,” the sources added.
Participated in farmer protests
Ganapathy, 72, had recently stepped down as general secretary of CPI (Maoist) after being at the helm for over two decades. The Chhattisgarh police recovered a letter, written in Telugu purportedly by a businessman, from Murthy’s possession. In the letter, the businessman, who is executing contracts in Dantewada, reportedly offered to “satisfy” the needs of Maoist party leadership while requesting them not to create hurdles in execution of projects. The letter was shared by Chhattisgarh police with their Telangana counterparts for further probe.
Murthy told police that most of his peers, who had joined RSU, while they were pursuing polytechnic course in Warangal, were gunned down by security forces and he was the only one alive, but working for the party as a covert. A team of Chhattisgarh police is likely to visit Hyderabad in next couple of days to speak to NGRI director and staff to know more about Venkat Rao’s activities at NGRI.
Venkat, who is known by different names including Murthy in the Maoist party, participated in protests in support of farmers in places like Katni in MP. The literature recovered from him was in Telugu or English, which he might have published recently and was supposed to pass on to Deepak. Police were still probing from where Venkat Rao got detonators and other materials.
Venkat Rao, who is a senior technical assistant (explosives) with the CSIR institute, was reportedly nabbed at Chabuknala junction in Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh on Sunday. Police found Maoist literature, a cell phone, two wireless sets and 23 detonators in his possession.
Also, the investigators found a letter written in Telugu, purportedly by a contractor from Telangana to the Maoist leadership, on him.
“He had direct links with Central Committee members, especially Deepak Teltumbde and Central Military Commission (CMC) chairman Devji. He met the duo and even held deliberations on various issues in the Bastar forest in 2016 and 2017,” credible sources in Chhattisgarh police, who are part of the investigation team, told TOI.
“Murthy acted as a courier between Muppala Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathi and people part of the alleged ‘urban naxal network’ like Revolutionary Writers’ Association (RWA) members Varavara Rao and others. Since Venkat Rao is a central government employee, no one suspected he had any links with Maoist party that too top leadership. Even we are surprised how he managed for such a long time without coming under police scanner until surrendered Maoist Pahad Singh confessed some days ago,” the sources added.
Participated in farmer protests
Ganapathy, 72, had recently stepped down as general secretary of CPI (Maoist) after being at the helm for over two decades. The Chhattisgarh police recovered a letter, written in Telugu purportedly by a businessman, from Murthy’s possession. In the letter, the businessman, who is executing contracts in Dantewada, reportedly offered to “satisfy” the needs of Maoist party leadership while requesting them not to create hurdles in execution of projects. The letter was shared by Chhattisgarh police with their Telangana counterparts for further probe.
Murthy told police that most of his peers, who had joined RSU, while they were pursuing polytechnic course in Warangal, were gunned down by security forces and he was the only one alive, but working for the party as a covert. A team of Chhattisgarh police is likely to visit Hyderabad in next couple of days to speak to NGRI director and staff to know more about Venkat Rao’s activities at NGRI.
Venkat, who is known by different names including Murthy in the Maoist party, participated in protests in support of farmers in places like Katni in MP. The literature recovered from him was in Telugu or English, which he might have published recently and was supposed to pass on to Deepak. Police were still probing from where Venkat Rao got detonators and other materials.
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