An Associate Professor of the Telugu Department of Andhra University, J. Appa Rao, was arrested by the police on Thursday morning on the charge of supplying explosive material to the banned CPI (Maoist).
Prof. Appa Rao, A Girijan, was forcibly taken away from his house by about 10 men in the early hours, his family members said.
His wife wanted to accompany him in the vehicle but she was forced to get down, it was alleged. She and her young children were present when Prof. Appa Rao was taken away. The news of his "kidnap" spread like wild fire in the city and shocked many friends and relatives of the AU teacher.
This is for the first time that a faculty member of AU has been picked up by the polcei from the campus on the charge of Maoist links.
A few hours later, Superintendent of Police of Visakhapatnam district Koya Praveen informed that Prof. Appa Rao was arrested on the charge of supplying explosives to the Maoists. He would be produced before the press later in the day, Dr. Praveen said.
Prof. Appa Rao hails from an ordinary background and started as a lecturer in a government college before joining the faculty of AU. People who know Prof. Appa Rao said that being an educated Tribal, he was actively involved in the Tribal rights movements in the past and was also active as a member of the AU Teachers Association. But of late, he has been more involved in academic activity.
