Ex-Naxals kidnap bid foiled

A former Naxalite who had turned to kidnapping and extortion in the recent past was arrested on Tuesday by the Hyderabad Commissioners Task Force. Singram Venkata Ramana alias Ranga of Kothapally,Kurnool district,was arrested while he was trying to establish contact with former Naxalites to form a criminal gang. A pistol,revolver and Rs 1 lakh cash were seized from his possession. Ramana was also wanted in the murder of a businessman in Kurnool town.

On October 22,Ramana and his accomplice D Ravi had allegedly kidnapped Pradeep Reddy,the project coordinator of KMC Construction,which is laying the four-lane NH-7 from Kurnool town. After taking Reddy to Anantapur,the duo contacted the owner of KMC Constructions and initially demanded Rs 1 crore,but settled for Rs 25 lakh. The amount was paid by the company and Reddy was released a day later. Based on a tip-off the police received information that Ramana had moved to Hyderabad to make easy money and was making efforts to form a gang with surrendered Naxals who are experts in kidnapping. He allegedly planned to extort money from businessmen and contractors.

The police said the accused discontinued his education in Standard IX and gravitated towards the Naxalite movement. In 1996,when he was only 17,Ramana started his activities in the Janashakti group of the CPIML as a courier for its Bavanasi Dalam armed squad headed by Seshanna.

Seshanna Dalam used to operate in Kothapally Mandal,Pamulapadu Mandal,Velgode Mandal of Kurnool district,and specialised in arson and extortions. In 2000,Seshanna expected a split in the party and as a precautionary measure handed over one revolver and two country-made revolvers. Later Seshanna joined the PWG. Subsequently,Ramana surrendered before the police in Atmakur,Kurnool district in 2001. After his surrender,he married and shifted to Kurnool town in 2002. Initially he worked as a driver and later,in 2006,purchased an Allwyn Eicher and ran it on a rental basis.

His criminal activities,however,allegedly continued. In June 2000,he and his associates Eswaraiah and Tirupal allegedly killed a businessman after a botched kidnapping bid.