Bhupalpally: Four persons were arrested for allegedly transporting money and goods to the outlawed CPI Maoists on Wednesday. They were Abdul Aziz (63), a beedi contractor, his brother Md Abdul Razak (60), Janagama Raghav (26) and Kausar Ali (27), who was working as driver for Aziz.
The police seized Rs 76,57,000 in cash, gelatin sticks, detonators, wire and other material from them. Eight other accused in the case including Md Rawoof, Athram Narayana, Marupaka Ramaiah, and underground Maoists Varghese, Bhaskar, Dileep, Unga, and Vellal are absconding, according to the police.
SP J Surender Reddy said the Kataram police had grown suspicious of a black car (WB 94 P 4855) near a forest check-post at Kataram on Wednesday.
“On stopping the vehicle and conducting a search, the police found a large sum of money and suspicious items, including tabs, medicines, syrup bottles, wrist watches, nutrition powder, gelatin sticks, detonators, Cordex wire, and white towels,” Reddy said.
“During questioning, Aziz revealed that he had been introduced to leaders of the Maoist party, Varghese, Bhaskar, Dilip, Unga and Chahal, through Atram Narayana. Aziz also claimed that he met with the Maoist leaders every year since 2014 and provided them with goods and funds through Narayana or Marupaka Ramaiah, a unit clerk of Aziz. In February 2023, Aziz gave Rs 13 lakhs to the Maoist leaders. In May 2023, they asked for a large amount of money and a list of items. Aziz collected the requested items from Karimnagar through his family members and got the money through Hawala with the help of his company,” the SP said.
The SP said Aziz’s son and his friend transported the money and goods to the Maoists at Gangaram X road, between Koyyur and Kataram, on May 10. Persons related to Maoists collected the items and money, claiming they were going to Chhattisgarh.
Aziz, who is presently living in Karimnagar, went to Saudi Arabia in 1981 and worked as a clerk in a company. He returned in 1989. He bought a lorry and became a transporter in 1990. Later, he returned to Saudi Arabia and worked as a manager in a hotel, but returned in 1998. He also worked as Mamillawada MPTC of Huzurabad mandal from 2006 to 2011. From 2009, he was a beedi leaf contractor at Bhopalpatnam of Chhattisgarh.