Telangana police slap sedition charge against three TVV activists

HYDERABAD: Gadwal-Jogulamba district police have slapped sedition charges against an assistant professor of Osmania University PG College, three members of

Telangana Vidyarthi Vedika

(TVV) and an activist of

Chaitanya Mahila Sangham

, accusing them of working in cahoots with the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Apart from booking them under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and section 120-B (conspiracy), sedition charges were registered against assistant professor (contract) K Jagan, TVV president Maddileti and two activists — Naganna and Balaram and Shilpa alias Chinta of Mahila Sangham. Naganna and Balaram were arrested a few days ago.

Officials said that after the arrest of Naganna, police had credible information that Maddileti and Balaram were heading to see the former. “When a police party was waiting for Maddileti and Balaram, they came across only Balaram, while Maddileti gave us the slip,’’ officials in Telangana police told TOI. A day after Balaram was arrested, raids were conducted at the residence of Maddileti in Nallakunta.

Police said that Naganna, who completed his graduation from Ambedkar Open University, and Balaram were reportedly attracted to Maoist ideology and ready to visit Chhattisgarh to join the ranks of the Maoist party.

Meanwhile, members of Telangana Civil Liberties Committee (TCLC) and students unions’ JAC in a statement condemned the arrests of TVV activists and demanded lifting of the sedition charges against the five accused.

“The government is making baseless allegations by linking TVV with the Maoist party,’’ K Ravi Chander, president of Telangana Praja Front, said. TCLC president Lakshman said they would seek bail for Naganna and Balaram, who are now in judicial remand. “Police have not even served the FIR copy with regard to their arrests,’’ he added.