Hyderabad, August 14: Is Pakistan’s ISI trying to establish contact with the outlawed CPI (Maoist)?
A pseudo-Naxal gang busted by the Hyderabad City Police has made a stunning revelation that the ubiquitous ISI is indeed interested in doing so.
The cops have arrested four persons, including a Telugu Yuvatha leader, who were all set to leave for Dubai to “establish ties” between Maoist leaders and associates of underworld don Shaik Shakeel Ahmed alias Chota Shakeel.
Though it is learnt that the intention of the arrested was to make a fast buck and go on a foreign junket by giving false assurances, the attempt by the Chota Shakeel gang to make contact with the Maoists at the behest of the ISI has come as a surprise.
The accused are — Pasham Sridhar alias Tillu (27), a resident of Saidabad who is into real estate, K Sarat Chandra (39), a small time businessman from Mettuguda, D Pradeep Kumar (29), a realtor from Ramanthapur and G Pavan Kumar (38), also a realtor and Telugu Yuvatha president from Uppal. Telugu Yuvatha is the TDP’s youth wing.
In fact, it was the arrest of key accused, Vinay, in Bangalore which led to the arrest of the four. Vinay’s associate P Subbaiah Devaiah from South Kodagu district in Karnataka was also arrested.
But the main accused, Altaf alias Rakesh, believed to be having links with the Chota Shakeel gang, is absconding. He is said to be in Dubai.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner AK Khan said Pasham Sridhar came into contact with Vinay on some business work. In June, Vinay putforth a proposal before Sridhar that if he and his close associates agreed to carry out works as entrusted by his friend Altaf, they could make easy money. Sridhar agreed without a second thought.
Accordingly, Sridhar informed his friends and sought their help. Later, Sarat Chandra was made to talk to Altaf from a public telephone booth and he introduced himself as “Maoist leader RK.”
Altaf believed him and days later, sent him Rs 25 lakh as advance payment. He asked them to visit Dubai and even sent them flight tickets and arranged for the visas. “The four-member gang began preparations to visit Dubai in the second week of August to have detailed discussions for finalising the deal with Altaf,” Khan said.
Both Vinay and Subbaiah were arrested by Cottanpet Police in Bangalore. The sleuths seized travel documents, cell phones and a four-wheeler from them. The case is being investigated by the Special Investigation Team.
–Agencies