NIA takes over probe into MLA killing case

The Central agency has the authority to do so, says DGP

In a major development in the Kidari Sarveswara Rao murder case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into the case from the Special Investigation Team.

Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA from the same constituency Siveri Soma were gunned down by a team of the banned CPI (Maoist) on September 23 near Livitiput village in G Madugula Mandal in Visakhapatnam Agency. The TDP leaders were waylaid near the village, located about 10 km from AOB region, by a team of about 40 Maoists and shot dead point-blank.

Immediately after the incident, the State government constituted an SIT to investigate the case and four persons, including a former MPTC member, were arrested.

According to Director-General of Police R.P. Thakur, NIA has taken over the case

suo motu . The NIA has the power and authority to take over any case and investigate that has inter-State, national and international ramification and especially those where terrorist groups are involved, he said.

In the Kidari case, the conspiracy was allegedly hatched by the Maoists in Odisha, the action took place in Andhra Pradesh and most of the members in the action team were from Chhattisgarh.

This was a complex terrorist action against a high-value target and Maoists have inter-state and international connection, said a senior police officer engaged in anti-Maoist operation.

Sources in NIA said that the agency had the powers to take up any investigation that involves terrorist action and depending on the gravity of the case suo motu and there is no need for any special consent from any State or local investigating agency.

Probe begins

It is learnt that the NIA has already questioned the four who were arrested earlier in the case.