Munchingput Maoist Conspiracy: NIA arrests one in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested a state executive committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit. The teams seized a weapon, cash and incriminating material in a separate raid.

The arrest is part of the ongoing raids across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in connection with the Munchingput CPI (Maoist) conspiracy case.

The NIA officials raided 62 locations, including 53 in Andhra Pradesh and nine in Telangana, which led to the arrest of Chandra Narasimhulu, a state executive committee member of the Pragathiseela Karmika Samakya (PKS), from Sri Satya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh.

A pistol and 14 rounds of ammunition were recovered and Rs 13 lakh in cash was seized from one of the locations raided in Kadapa district. Maoist literature and documents were also part of the seizures in the other locations.

Chandra Narasimhulu’s custodial interrogation is expected to yield further information about the conspiracy related to attempts by various frontal organisations to further the activities of the proscribed outfit CPI (Maoist).

So far, the NIA investigation has revealed that many leaders and members of these organisations are extending support to the CPI(Maoist), which was banned as a terrorist outfit in 2009.

In Andhra Pradesh, the locations raided by the NIA officials in cooperation with the state’s police forces, include Guntur, Palnadu, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Prakasam, Bapatla, Eluru, East Godavari BR Ambedkar Konasema, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Nellore, Tirupati, Kadapa, Sri Satya Sai, Anantapur, and Kurnool districts. Nine locations have been raided in Telangana so far.

The Munchingput case

The police registered the case in November 2020 based on information relating to the movement of Maoists and the transportation of Maoist literature in Munchingputtu, Andhra Pradesh.

The police intercepted one Pangi Naganna while he was carrying Maoist revolutionary literature books, medicines, red colour banner cloth, electrical wire bundles, Nippo batteries and pamphlets meant to be handed over to the Maoist cadres.

Detailed interrogation of Pangi Naganna revealed that the items were handed over to him by the leaders of the frontal organisations.

On May 21, 2021, the NIA filed a chargesheet against seven persons, including five affiliated with CPI(Maoist) front outfits, in the case before a special court in Vijayawada.