NIA charge sheets 7 CPI-Maoist operatives for trying to further banned group's activities

Pangi Naganna, Akkiraju Harigopal, members of the Central Committee of CPI (Maoist), Boppudi Anjamma of Amarula Bandhu Mitrula Sangham (ABMS), Rela Rajeshwari of Chaitanya Mahila Sangham (CMS), Anduluri Annapurna of Pragatisheela Karmika Samakhya (PKS), Manukonda Srinivasa Rao of VIRASAM and Jangala Koteshwar Rao of Pragatisheela Karmika Samakhya (PKS) have been named. 

The NIA has charged them for their role in conspiring, supporting and furthering the activities of the CPI (Maoist), a proscribed terrorist organisation, in Andhra Pradesh and nearby states, according to the official. The accused have been charge sheeted under sections of the IPC read with the UA(P) Act; the Explosives Substances Act and the Indian Arms Act. In November last year in Visakhapatnam, Naganna was intercepted by Munchingput Police while carrying Maoist literature and other incriminating materials, the NIA official said. On his disclosure, a large cache of explosives and arms were recovered which were to be further handed to the members of the CPI (Maoist) by Naganna, he said. The ABMS, CMS, PKS, VIRASAM and PKM are frontal organisations/Praja Sanghalu of CPI(Maoists) and were floated in pursuance to the Tactical United Front strategy of CPI (Maoist), the NIA official said. The five accused leaders of these frontal organisations used to meet Harigopal -- advisor and in-charge of the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border and Special Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist) -- and other leaders in the forest along with Naganna, who in the guise of working as a journalist, was organising the meetings and appointments with senior leaders of CPI (Maoist), the official said. 

During the meetings, the leaders of the frontal organisations used to discuss their strategy for organising agitations, dharnas, rasta roko and other activities against the government in order to spread their Maoist ideology and to garner support from various sections of society for the cause of CPI (Maoist), the NIA official said. Further investigation in the case continues, the official said.