Hyderabad: The Rachakonda police here arrested four people for masquerading as members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Liberation) or CPI-M and Rythu Coolie Sangam and extorting businessmen. The accused, two of whom had earlier worked for the CPI-ML, were taken into custody by the Chaitanyapuri police based on complaints from the police.
According to Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh M. Bhagwat, the accused have been identified as Kodumuri Srinivas, Allutla Uppalaiah, Thatikayala Surender and Allutla Ganesh. The fifth accused Venkanna is absconding. Of the four accused, Srinivas, Uppalaiah had worked with the CPI-ML, while Surender was part of the PDSU in Nalgonda district.
Uppalaiah, who worked with the CPI ML during his Intermediate in Suryapet district, has knowledge of “revolutionary parties, organizations and their activities” said the Rachakonda police in a press note, and added that Srinivas and Uppalaiah were involved in many extortion cases in the past well. The police said that they formed a group to “earn easy money”, and decided to extort money from wealthy people and businessmen.
Three of the four accused reportedly would meet in lodges where Srinivas stayed and planned as to whom they would threaten and intimidate for extortion. Ganesh and Venkanna, who were drivers of Uppalaiah, also took part in the commission of offences, the police added.
“This gang extorted amounts from many people in 2019 and they couldn’t do their activities in the year 2020 due to COVID-19,” said the release from the Rachakonda police, which added that they eventually contacted each other over the phone to continue their criminal activity. The four were arrested by Chaitanyapuri inspector Ravi Kumar after closely examining CCTV footage and other technical evidence.