CPI (ML-ND) activist held; five bullets recovered

Mahabubabad: An underground activist of CPI (ML) New Democracy (Pedda Chandranna group), Boorka Pratap alias Shyam, was arrested by Kothaguda police at Laxmipuram village in the district on Friday.

The police recovered five rounds SLR ammunition and revolutionary literature from his possession after arresting him. The arrested activist hails from Gunjedu village and joined the CPI (ML) in 2005.

Mahabubabad SP N Koti Reddy, who produced Prathap before the media, said he joined Kothaguda area Dalam under the influence of his uncle Totem Rama Rao alias Ganesh and later joined Suryam Dalam following the death of Rama Rao in an encounter with the police in 2010.

There were Suryam Dalam, Ahosk Dalam, Sudhakar Dalam and Ramanna Dalam under Pedda Chandranna group in Mahabubabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem and Khammam districts with 40 members in these squads.

The members of the above dalams have been engaged in extorting money from business men, contractors and others in the name of the party fund.

They also used to involve in settlement of family disputes and issues related to podu lands. Suryam dalam has five members including the dalam commander Suryam and they were carrying two SLRs, a .9 mm carbine and three 8 mm rifles were operating in Pakhal-Kothaguda area, the SP noted.

The members were also threatening forest officials when tried to reclaim the forest lands illegally occupied by locals. Pratap was involved in the incident of firing at a police team at Bhupathi thanda in January 2016, he added.