Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Mystery shrouds CISF doctor's kidnap

By Our Staff Reporter

WARANGAL April 29. The kidnap of a senior doctor of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Hyderabad, Nellutla Venkata Ramachandra Rao, from his ancestral house at Manchuppula village of Palakurthy mandal on Saturday night remains shrouded in mystery. He was not released till Monday evening.

Dr. Rao and a servant at the house, Narsaiah, were suspected to have been kidnapped by an extremist group but the Jangaon zonal committee secretary of the Janashakthi group of naxalites, Bhagat, released a press statement at Jangaon on Monday evening denying the involvement of the outfit. The involvement of the Janashakthi was earlier strongly suspected as the group had pitched red flags in the lands of Dr. Rao's family in a gesture of taking them over.

The police said they had no clue about the involvement of the People's War Group (PWG) either.

They maintained that Dr. Rao, his younger brother, Ramamohan Rao, a businessman in Hyderabad, and Narsaiah were taken by the armed men from their house around 10 p.m. The naxalites sent back Mr. Ramamohan Rao while taking away Dr. Rao and Narsaiah.

It was stated that Dr. Rao and his two younger brothers who rarely visit their native village had turned up on Saturday to conduct pooja in a temple which has been renovated. One of the brothers, Ranga Rao, left for Hyderabad while the other two remained to make an overnight stay.

The armed men who visited their house in the night curtly asked Dr. Rao to follow them to an `anna' who was waiting on the outskirts. A scuffle ensued between family members of Dr. Rao and the naxalites outside the house when the former refused to go with them. The naxalites then opened fire in the air twice to scare away some villagers who gathered there. Women members of the family also fell at the feet of the extremists to spare Dr. Rao but they would have nothing of it. Narsaiah and Mr. Ramamohan Rao followed the hostage for some distance on foot when the latter was sent back.

Contradicting the claim of the Janashakthi, the Jangaon DSP, Swamynarain Pawar, told mediapersons that the kidnap was definitely the handiwork of Janashakthi as they were cash starved. This ran contrary to Bhagat's statement that the Janashakthi had no need to extort money.

Bhagat also stated that some fake naxals were extorting money from landlords, armed with weapons, and that the `public' will punish them.

Eight persons were said to have abducted Dr. Rao and Narsaiah.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• 1250 naxals `liberated' from records
• YSR flays Naidu's remarks on Sonia
• Amalapuram bypoll: MSR leaves decision to Sonia
• Janashakthi admits receiving its `share'
• CM non-committal on PR teachers' demands
• Mystery shrouds CISF doctor's kidnap
• Karnataka opens Tungabhadra dam gates

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu