Naidu attacker gives policemen the slip : Red Sanders smuggler flees to UAE on May 21

By Uudmula Sudhakar Reddy
An accused who was involved in an attack on Chief Minister designate N. Chandrababu Naidu in
2003 has escaped to Dubai as the police tried to track him down after the election results, suspecting
him to be a possible security threat to the CM designate.
Gangi Reddy, a known Red Sanders smuggler hailing from Vathuluru in Pullampeta mandal of Kadapa, is believed to have fled to Dubai from Hyderabad on May 21. He jumped bail in a Red Sanders case booked against him in Kurnool.
Though he was acquitted in the 2003 claymore mine blast attack case on Mr Naidu, police agencies
assessing the security threats began tracking him down from May 17, the day after the results were out.
Gangi Reddy had allegedly helped Naxals in carrying out the claymore mine attack on Mr Naidu when he was on his way to Tirumala. Fearing that the police would target him, Gangi Reddy is suspected to have fled the country.
A senior police official said, “Gangi Reddy had supplied cellphones and supported Maoists financially in the attack on Naidu. After we started the hunt for him, he sensed trouble and fled to the UAE.”
UAE is the transit destination of Red Sanders wood and it is suspected one Sahul Hameed, kingpin
of the racket, has local connections. Police from Kurnool, who were tracking Reddy’s mobile and
came to the city, returned empty handed. “Sahul had links with Rayalaseema-based smugglers
V. Ramnath Reddy and Bala. Ramnath Reddy is in turn linked to Gangi Reddy. Ramnath is right
now in Badvel jail,” a police official said.

Terror suspect Abdul Basith got jihadi information from Internet

He aggressively radicalised Maaz and Faruq to join forces with ISIS.
By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
Terror suspect Abdul Basith, who was arrested earlier this week, has confessed to the police that he had downloaded terror-related material on his tablet computer.

The FIR booked by the Special Investigation Team of Hyderabad police stated “Basith confessed that he downloaded jihadi materials through the Internet on his tab.”

It said he had deleted the material due to the fear of the police, and left the tablet computer at home. The FIR disclosed that Basith, Omer Farooq and Maaz Hassan claimed that their uncle Syed Salahuddin, the former president of  SIMI, was their “role model.” Salahuddin died in a road accident last year.

“They regularly held meetings at family functions and parties, and the last was at Nalgonda. Basith is the most aggressive out of the three and he indoctrinated Hassan and Farooq,” an investigation official said.
Police said that Basith, who led the trio, weighs only 46 kg. “It would have been really difficult for the trio to bear the cold in Kashmir. They couldn’t brave the cold wave in Adilabad where the temperature fell to 4 C,” an official said.

They had travelled on two bikes and reached Adilabad at 9 am. Because of the cold, they were not able to proceed further and kept the motorcycles with a mechanic, the officer said. “They are not physically strong, they have strong jihadi extremism ideology,” he said.

Classification of zones fishy, suspect farmers : It has been reported that top TD leaders, both at the state and in the Centre, have purchased huge lands in Agri zone-2.

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
 While farmers and landowners are eyeing classification of the AP capital region in three different agri protection zones as suspicious, municipal administration minister P. Narayana said that the classification had been done based on fertility of the soil.

According to the capital city’s master plan, all lands on the south, southwest and near the central zone are classified as Agri zone-2 – in Tadikonda, Amaravati, half of Kanchikacharla and  parts of Medikonduru and Pedakaurpad mandals – and Agri zone-3, falling in Krosuru, Atchampet, Chandralapadu, Phirangipuram, Jaggaiahpet, parts of Pedakurpadu and Kanchikarala. These zones are reserved for future expansion of city.

The other zones around the capital are classified as Agri zone -1 wherein only purely agri and agri allied activities will be allowed.

A resident population of 2.5 million and creation of 1.5 million jobs by 2050 proposed

It has been reported that top TD leaders, both at the state and in the Centre, have purchased huge lands in Agri zone-2.

The capital master plan says all activities in the proposed urban zones will be allowed in this zone which will be of help to the owners. Value of land in Agri zone-2 and Agri zone-3 will rise in the future whereas land value in Agri zone-1 will dip. One can, however, build farmhouses in Agri zone1.

Mr Narayana said, “There are two plans – perspective plan and master plan – for the capital region of 33,000 acre. The side of the capital which is classified as Agri zone-1 is a more fertile delta land and forestland. So it has been declared as a green zone. However, the perspective plan will change every 10 years and the master plan every five years as per Section 38 of the CRDA Act. The side which is declared as Agri zones 2 and 3 have future expansion possibility. There is no favour being show to any leaders owning lands.”

He said that the major difference between the previous draft plan and the final draft was realignment of roads like the Outer Ring Road and Inner Ring Road.

“The first plan is based on satellite maps and now it is survey number based,” he said.

However farmers are alleging that the mandals like Verullapadu, Vatsavai, Penuganchiprolu, Mylavaram, G Konduru and Nuziveedu are not fertile. G. Nageswar Rao, a farmer, said, “The delta area is restricted only to land downstream of Krishna. The big question is why do they want to expand the city towards the South?”

Mr Narayana said, “Depending on future needs, we can change the plan; farmers need not worry.”

US universities eye techies from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana : Some universities that mushroomed since 2000s are cashing in on the craze for US education.

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The US universities Silicon Valley University (SVU) and Northwestern Polytechnic University (NPU), are led by Chinese Americans and most students studying there are from India, particularly from Telangana and AP.

Some universities that mushroomed in the US since 2000s are cashing in on the craze for US education among the lakhs of B.Tech pass outs from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana engineering colleges.

Dr N.V. Ramana Rao, senior professor of Civil Engineering at JNTU Hyderabad said, “There are around 550 engineering colleges in AP and TS and around 3.5 lakh students pass out with BTech degrees from these states.”

Goofed-up students deported from US : AP official says some students could not expand MBA.

By Udmula Sudhakar Reddy
Some Indian students who failed to answer basic questions at the immigration counters on arrival in the United States were deported back home, according to top sources in the AP government. Some of the students even told officials that they want to work in the US.

A top functionary of the AP government said, “When asked by US immigration officials whether they had the money to support their education, some of them said they would take up jobs. When asked to expand abbreviation MBA, some of them couldn’t answer. This may have led to their deportation. However we will get clarity on Wednesday.”

A file photo of Indian students attending an
US education fair in the city.

He was replying about deportation of students and Air India refusing to fly some students bound for two universities in the California — Silicon Valley University, San Jose, and North Western Polytechnic University, Fremont. Replying to a query on the deportation of students, the US Consulate in Hyderabad said: “We are indeed aware of reports that some students were refused boarding by Air India. However, as boarding decisions are made solely by the airline, I refer you to Air India for further information about their boarding decisions.”
According to information on the website of the US department for homeland security that administers the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, the SEV programme certifies schools to issue I-20 and DS-2019 visas. That certification allows schools to offer programmes of study to non-immigrant students. Failure to complete the code of federal regulations can result in determination that a school is no longer eligible for certification.

Varsities deny being blacklisted
The Indian students were deported because their visas were denied by the US Immigration Authorities. “Air India has acted as per the advice of US authorities. We have strongly taken up the matter with the US government both in the US and in Delhi. We are closely following up the matter with the aim of resolving it at the earliest,” the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in New Delhi.

“We have to find out why visas were issued in the first place by the US government,” sources said.

According to reports, the two universities — Silicon Valley University and Northwestern Polytechnic University — said they have been told by the US Customs and Border Protection that they have not been blacklisted by the US government or any of its agencies.

The two universities said that there has been increased security and questioning at the port of entry in view of the recent terrorist attacks in the country.

Call money cases messed up: According to ED the police can’t issue FIR under PMLA.

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
The AP police, under pressure to crack down on illegal money lenders, has made a big legal mess by booking cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. While the PMLA 2002 clearly says that cases under this Act can be booked only by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) the police of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Guntur Urban and Kadapa booked cases under PMLA.


According to ED the police can’t issue FIR under PMLA and it will not stand legal scrutiny. In districts like Kurnool, Kadapa and Anantapur it was inspectors and SIs who filed suo motu cases against financiers.

In the state, a total of 227 cases of call money were booked in which 188 accused has been arrested including CAs, traders and politicians. Except the case at the Vijayawada Macha-varam PS, sexual exploitation is not involved in other cases.

In the Machavaram case, police booked cases for rape and molestation under the criminal law amendment act. Interestingly, in the original call money sextortion case of Machavaram, no PMLA case was booked.

None of the cases booked by Vijayawada police is connected to the call money case. In addition to extortion and cheating the police added Sec 4 of PMLA.

Cottongate: CBI finds many benami farmers : According to CBI sources, out of 50 farmers checked in Karimnagar, around 30 were fake.

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The CBI and Vigilance and Enforcement probe into the Cotton Corporation of India fraud in Telangana and Aandhra Pradesh has found that majority of the farmers exist only on paper.

According to CBI sources, out of 50 farmers checked in Karimnagar of Telangana so far, around 30 were fictitious and had been faked by commission agents and cotton traders. With fake documents in the name of non-existing farmers, the suspects sold cotton to CCI and siphoned the minimum support price.

The addresses in which CBI issued notices to record statements in the Cotton Corpor-ation of India fraud  case turned out to be false.

An official said, “The traders procured cotton unofficially from farmers for a lesser price and then sold it to CCI on fictitious names. The address verification of farmers when we served notices to record statements found that they were false.”

Meanwhile the Vigilance and Enforcement report regarding MSP operations by CCI states that out of 900 farmers examined, only 181, around 20 per cent, were genuine and the rest were all “brokers”.

“CCI purchased 66,548.32 quintals from 900 ‘supposed farmers’ of which 47,903.91 quintals were from bogus farmers. It was also found that ginning mills are not maintaining inward and outward registers with regard to cotton received from CCI...” revealed the AP Vigilance report.

DC had earlier reported that the minimum support price fraud had emerged as the prime reason behind cotton farmers’ suicides in TS and AP.

Evidences collected by CBI including forged cheques, illegal bank transactions, and statements of victim farmers have revealed an unholy nexus between CCI purchase officers, TS and AP marketing yard committees and marketing department officials and moneylenders-cum-traders-turned politicians.

Investigation has revealed that these individuals have formed a “cotton mafia” and are allegedly denying farmers the MSP for cotton and have amassed huge wealth.

While the market rate is around Rs 4,000 per quintal, farmers are being forced to sell cotton to traders for Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500. Cases were booked with CBI both in AP and Telangana.

Andhra Pradesh border unguarded : Forced out from Chhattisgarh and Odisha, Maoists enter Andhra Pradesh

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
AP is facing a serious threat from Maoists in a 40-km zone in the Visakhapatnam Agency area — along the Odisha border — where are no base camps of security forces.

Maoists were pushed into the unguarded AP area from Odisha and Chhattisgarh due to pressure built up by the base camps set up within a 10-km radius by the Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force.

A file photograph of a CRPF
personnel keeping a vigil in a
Maoist affected village in Andhra Pradesh

The AP police now wants the BSF and CRPF to set up permanent camps within 10 km of the border from Odisha like on the other side. It had sought the Centre’s help for more paramilitary forces. With the Centre twice rejecting the plea of the AP police, director general of police J.V. Ramudu is currently in New Delhi to meet officials of the Union home ministry.
AP wants to gain domination over the 40-km zone as it has come to light that a battalion of Maoists, numbering up to 300, along with militia members, had entered the Vizag Agency area.

A top police official involved in anti-Naxal operations said, “Greyhounds commandos go to the AOB area and carry out combing operations for three days and come back to the Vizag base. They can’t sustain an operation for more than three days due to logistics as well as the possibility of an ambush like the Balimela attack.”

He said that the Greyhounds operations were target and information-based. “There are no police stations in this zone close to Andhra-Odisha border. Neither are there any base camps in this zone. Maoists consider this as a safe zone for them,” he said.

Maoists have a better information network in this zone of Vizag and in the East Godavari district Agency area than the police.
AP needs up to Rs 3 crore for setting up base camps with fencing on over four to five  hectare area with floodlights and other protection measures.

“Odisha has eight battalions of BSF and eight battalions of CRPF. One Cobra battalion is involved in anti-Maoist operations. But we have only two battalions of CRPF. We have asked the Centre for CRPF and BFSF forces but there has been no positive reply. If AP sets up base camps near the border then the Greyhounds’ operations can be intensified so that they can come back to the base quickly and move again,” said a top intelligence official of AP police.

Mr Ramudu said, “Regarding the Maoist threat, I have reviewed the situation during my visit to Vizag recently. Now I am in Delhi.”
The CRPF too has said that the Maoists had lost ground in southern Odisha bordering AP and were either moving in the Vizag Agency area or in western Odisha.

CRPF director general Prakash Mishra, who arrived in Odisha’s Rourkela on Thursday to review anti-Maoist operations, said that the rebels were regrouping and consolidating their positions in Kandhamal and some western Odisha districts. He claimed that the rebels were losing strength in southern Odisha bordering Andhra Pradesh.

Ancient artworks found in Anantapur district : Rock was found to have prehistoric paintings of Mesolithic times

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The prehistoric rock paintings which were discovered near Kadiri of Anantapuram district of Andhra Pradesh. Some pictures on rocks resemble men dancing, hunting tools, geometrical designs.

Archeologists in Vijayawada have discovered prehistoric rock paintings near Kadiri of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. The rock, locally known as Rukalagundu in Kadiri mandal, was found to have prehistoric paintings dated to Mesolithic times.

Dr E. Siva Nagireddy, CEO of The Cultural Centre of Vijayawada, and his team, during investigations in Anantapur district following information given by one Mr P. Anjanappa Naidu, a resident of Potulavandlapalli in Kadiri Mandal, discovered the rock paintings.

Mr Reddy said, “We have noticed a few rock paintings which include a lizard, men dancing, hunting tools and geometrical designs, all executed in red ochre, at Rukalabanda, a small hillock located three kms from the village towards the east.”

Mr Anjappa Naidu, along with one Mr Mohammed Rafi, who are enthusiastic about historic remains, were the first to spot these paintings.

“The rock art is datable to the period between 10000 – 8000 BC. This is based on earlier finds of similar technique and typology at Velpumadugu and Budagavi in Uravakonda mandal and Tenakal and Enugugavi in Kalyandurg mandal by Dr N. Chandramouli, a specialist in South Indian rock art,” said Mr. Reddy.

Mr Anjanappa Naidu said, “The hill rock on which the paintings are located is called Rukalagundu because locals use to pay their taxes in cash called Rukas during the British regime, where until recently, village fares were conducted.” The site is near the Kadiri –Rajampet road. Archeologists have asked the district administration, district tourism promoting council and the department of Archaeology and Museums to provide an approach road to the spot, minimum amenities like legend board, signage and to declare it as a protected archaeological site and connect it to the tourist spots of Kadiri, Katarupalle and Timmammamarrimanu in the district.

Top maoist who was stricken by Dengue nabbed : AP police apprehended him when he ventured into the Agency area for treatment

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy



In yet another blow to Left-wing extremists, top Maoist leader Yeruva Shiva Reddy alias Kiran, a state committee member of Telangana Maoists, was arrested by the East Godavari police on Sunday. AP police apprehended him when he ventured into the Agency area for treatment of dengue. 

2 held in Saudi with terror link : Two Indian terror suspects have been detained in Saudi Arabia and will be deported soon

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Two Indian terror suspects have been detained in Saudi Arabia and will be deported soon. The two, identified as Abu Sufiyan of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Zainul Abideen of the Indian Mujahideen, have Hyderabad links, said police sources.

Abu Sufiyan alias Asasullah Khan is from Lancer Road, Masab Tank, in Hyderabad though cops haven’t been able to confirm whether it’s he who has been detained or another terror suspect. Sufiyan was part of a terror conspiracy in Riyadh in 2012 and was handling the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba youth module from Bengaluru.

IM man accused in city blasts case:

Zainul Abideen, the second terror suspect, who was detained in Saudi Arabia, has been confirmed as an Indian Mujahideen operative who had supplied explosives used in the Dilsukhnagar blasts. A TS intelligence official said, “Abu Sufiyan, 45, alias Asadullah Khan, a native of Masab Tank, is in the list of 32 terror suspects wanted by the TS police. His two brothers live in Saudi Arabia. He was involved in crime number 384 of 2012 of the Bengaluru terror module. He is a recruiter but there are no criminal cases against him with us, except for his involvement in Bengaluru. He was in regular touch with missing terror suspects from Hyderabad.”

“However, a few reports say that the suspect detained in Saudi is actually Mufti Sufiyan from Gujarat who was involved in the Haren Pandya murder case. We are yet to get clarity from central agencies. After getting clarity we can confirm whether he is from Hyderabad or Gujarat."

Zainul Abideen is a native of Bhatkal in Karnataka. He supplied explosives to IM operatives involved in serials blasts including the Dilsukhnagar blasts. Abideen had fled to Saudi Arabia after the Dilsukhnagar blasts in 2013.

Chandrababu Naidu’s inland waterway dream faces a hurdle : The waterway on Andhra Pradesh side process is still on

By Udumula Sudhakar reddy

In a setback to National Waterway-4, the Inland Waterway Authority of India (IWAI) has cancelled the tender for Buckingham Canal dredging as the Tamil Nadu government refused to cooperate. The waterway on Andhra Pradesh side process is still on. However, it will be only half of the project. AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been stressing on the need for the development of waterways.

Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu

A latest report of IWAI , copy of which is available with this newspaper, mentioned, “In the absence of response from the Tamil Nadu Government for extending assistance and cooperation for smooth execution of the project sanctioned for developing South Buckingham Canal of NW-4 for a stretch of 37 km between Sholinganallur and Kalpakkam, the tender floated in January 2015 for carrying out the dredging activities, the major activity, has been cancelled. However, the IWAI is pursuing with the AP government to sort out the issues on the acquisition of land for widening of the canal, construction of terminals, demolition and reconstruction of existing cross structures as well as identification of dumping area.”

The report also said, “In the meanwhile, the action for obtaining necessary clearance of environment and CRZ as per the requirement of MoEF is being taken. With regard to development of NW-4 in AP, the state government has floated the tender for conducting delineation survey and assessment of the land required for widening, construction of terminal etc., for developing the existing canal system for navigation.

Action has been initiated for obtaining the environment and CRZ clearance before the commencement of developmental activities,” National Waterway No. 4 is on Godavari , Krishna rivers and Canals between Kakinada and Puducherry to a stretch of 1027 km.

Infographic

Nationalwaterway 4

River portion (328 km), 

Irrigation canals (302 km) 

salt water canals (397 km)

Estimated Cost (at 2009 prices)- Rs 1515 Cr

Phase - 1 - Rs. 609 crore

Phase - 2 - Rs .906 crore

Period of Completion - 7 years

Land Acquisition

In Tamil Nadu - 300 Ha

In Andhra Pradesh -1380 Ha 

In Puducherry - 27 Ha 

Estimated cost of land acquisition - Rs. 391 Crore

Details of dredging: 

In canals - 20 million cum at an estimated cost of Rs. 333 Crore

Potential Cargo - 11 million tonne per annum

Coal on Godavari river, 

Cement on Krishna river 

Rice in both Krishna and Godavari

Amaravati’s ‘gems’ a glint in thieves’ eyes : A platoon of cops is stationed at the site to ward off thieves

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

With the AP government using small quantities of diamonds, precious stones, gold and silver along with Navadanyalau during the bhoomi puja for the capital city, there is round-the-clock security at the puja site.

A platoon of cops is stationed at the site to ward off thieves. During bhoomi puja for the capital on June 6, as part of the ritual, the government had put navaratnalu, panchaloha, navadhanyalu at the dug-up pit at the site. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, his wife Bhuavaneswari and son Lokesh, and ministers had cemented the pit ceremoniously. A silver basin and gold coated shovel were used for the masonry work.

Tullur tahsildar Anne Sudhir told Deccan Chronicle: “Usually while laying the corner stone of buildings, two to three grams of gold and navaratnas are put in the pit. As the capital city will be massive, we added a bit more, including a small diamond, gold and silver. It is only nominal. But there is widespread speculation in villages that a huge quantity has been put in the pit.

AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his wife Bhunaveswari perform bhoomi puja for Amaravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, along with son Nara Lokesh, Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman and TDP ministers 

Due to this there are apprehensions that thieves may dig up the site and thus police is guarding the site round the clock.” Farmers who are against the Land Pooling Scheme say that the police presence is to prevent protests and demolition of the corner stone and the bhoomi puja pit.

Mr M. Seshagiri Rao of the farmers’ association said, “The huge police presence at the site and other areas of the capital indicates that the land pooling is not voluntary and it is under coercion.”

Land scam: Big shots fall in police net in Andhra Pradesh : 42 properties of Keshava Reddy identified, schools in prime areas

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Big shots holding huge lands in the AP capital area along the National Highway are falling into the police net one after the other. Investments to the real estate sector by collecting deposits and loans from the public and not repaying them is the common modus operandi adopted by all these accused.

After Agrigold, that owns Hailand and a large chunk of land near Mangalagiri of AP capital worth hundreds of crores, it’s now the turn of educationist Keshava Reddy. He collected deposits not only in AP but also in TS. Keshava Reddy owns 4.4 acre prime land with a school building complex opposite Acharya Nagarjuna University in Peda Kakani of Guntur. Each acre would cost Rs 10 crore in this area along NH9.
 
A senior AP police official said, “We have identified 42 properties including 40 schools of Keshava Reddy. There are two individual properties belonging to him. He has a school in prime areas like Peda Kakani and Hyde-rabad. We have come to know that he has made an agreement to sell the Peda Kakani land and we are not sure yet whether he had registered it. We are now going through the legal process to ensure that he cannot sell the lands.” Police said he had confessed to collecting `547 crore from 11,000 members.

“The complainants are slowly approaching us. The case is now going to the Economic Offences Wing of the CID," the officer said.

“In Kurnool alone, Keshava Reddy owns 15 properties. He took loans and deposits promising more interest and went on an expansion mode. We are also looking at the diversion angle. Keshava Reddy started as school teacher in Warangal district and started educational institutions,” said the police official.
 Police said the education department is taking measures to ensure that the schools are run. 

Telangana police on trail of more IS suspects

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

A nationwide hunt has been launched for a youth who is suspected to have got in contact with IS recruiter Afsan Jabeen alias Nicky Joseph, through her group chat rooms on social media. Telangana police are on the lookout for two more men from Hyderabad whom she had motivated to join IS.

Police suspect that apart from Telangana, Jabeen might have tried to attract youths from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar and other states. Till Friday evening, Jabeen denied her role as a IS recruiter.

Police said that she had several FB accounts that she used to popularise IS ideology and motivate youths to join the terror group. Police are also trying to find who her handlers were and the finances of the social media recruiting module.
While chatting online, Jabeen, posing as a British national, allegedly lured several youths, promising to marry them if they travelled to Dubai, from where they would get to Syria to fight for the IS.

A senior police official said, “The accused Afsan Jabeen started a chat group, ‘Christianity versus Islam’, and was chatting with several youths including those from Hyderabad. Some of them left the group after a week. However, we have information that she was in constant touch with at least two youths from Hyderabad who are now under our radar. Definitely Salman Moinuddin was not alone among her prospective recruits.”

Jabeen meanwhile denied to the police that she wanted to marry Salman. She said it was Moinuddin who had proposed to her, which she did not accept.

Salman Moinuddin had started a Facebook page ‘Daula News Room’ on which he had posted lots of fundamental material. He had been arrested based on information from American intelligence agencies. Moinuddin’s father had earlier denied his son’s role in the case.

Jabeen is salman’s associate
A Hyderabadi woman, Afsha Jabeen, suspected of being a recruiter for the IS, was arrested on Friday by the Cyberabad police at the Shamshabad international. Police said she was an associate of Salman Moinuddin of Bazarghat in Hyderabad, an engineer who did his MS in Houston in US. Salman was arrested in January 2015 by Cyberabad police for suspected IS links.

According to Shamshabad DCP A.R. Srinivas, Jabeen was arrested as she was Accused No. 2 in Salman’s case, which was registered under the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act and Information Technology Act.

Salman was trying to go to Syria via Dubai and Turkey to join IS. Police said Salman had claimed that Jabeen (who had lured him as British national Nicky Joseph) was his girlfriend and he wanted to marry her.
However, it later came to light that Jabeen was actually a Hyderabadi. She had migrated to Abu Dhabi as a child and after doing her Intermediate there, had returned to Hyderabad.

She had graduated from Shadan College. Later, she married Devender Batra alias Mustafa who converted to Islam. The two relocated to Abu Dhabi and he started working as an employee in a real estate company. Intelligence agencies are interrogating Jabeen regarding her IS role and other terror links.

Prime lands in Andhra Pradesh for rich schools : The school was meant for children of NRIs, expatriates, affluent Indian families and foreign diplomats

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Fifteen acres of prime land worth about Rs 75 crore, owned by AP endowments department, has been identified for allocation for an international school in the public private partnership mode near Adavivaram in Visakhapatnam.

Another 15 acres worth around Rs 10 crore, belonging to the revenue department near National Highway in Bodduvaripalem in Nellore, is also being put at the disposal of private developers.

The state government, in its project report for international schools at Nellore and Visakhapatnam, revealed that the school was meant for children of NRIs, expatriates, affluent Indian families and foreign diplomats. Infrastructure Corporation of AP has called for bids from developers for the schools at Vizag and Nellore to be run with IB and Cambridge IGCSE curricula on the lines of the Adani School.

According to a senior official at Incap, the government had planned to develop international school in each Visakhapatnam, Nellore, Tirupati, Guntur, Anantapur and Puttaparthi in PPP model in order to create social infrastructure for foreign investors. Seven agencies have expressed interest to develop the international schools, he said.

The 15-acre land at at Adavivaram in Visakhapatnam belongs to the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Devasthanam of Simhachalam. Since the land belongs to endowments department, promotion of religious activities other than Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddishm is prohibited on the project site. The devasthanam will be getting the revenue share, said an Incap official.

The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 93.4 crore with a total of 2.72 lakh square feet. The site has 22 acres and seven acres of land can’t be utilised due to high-tension power line. The proposed site is 13 km from MVP Colony of Vizag. The endowments department will be a concessioning authority.

It is estimated that total project cost of Nellore school would be `62 crore. The Nellore site has connectivity with the town and can be reached through NH5. The government will be providing an approach road to the school, which is near the AP Tribal Welfare Gurkul school and girls junior college and 5 km from the proposed airport at Dagadarthi.

The school will accommodate 1,000 students with 40 air conditioned class rooms and will have residential facility for both boys and girls and a built up area of 1.84 lakh square feet.

Illness drives Maoists to doctors : Top leaders of extremist groups are suffering from age-related issues

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Maoist supremo Ganapati alias Muppala Lakshman Rao, who commands the Left wing extremist revolutionary forces in the country, can barely walk.
Top Maoists are in need of diabetologists, orthopaedics and dentists as most of them are suffering from diseases, arthritis, knee pains and dental issues.

The health dossiers of Maoists from the anti-Naxal intelligence agency of Telangana government has revealed that 66-year-old Ganapati, a native of Karimnagar district, is suffering from severe dental problems, is a diabetic and has poor eye sight.

A senior official of the Telangana police department said, “Dr Lachakka, area committee member in East Bastar, is treating Ganapati for his dental problems. Most of the military commission members suffer from health issues. Ganapati can’t walk for more than two hours. Recently, a woman leader died of gyneacological problems and some of them have been diagnosed with breast cancer.”

Katakam Sudarshan and Kada Satayarnayana are suffering from knee and joint pains. Jinugu Narasimha Reddy alias Jampanna is affected with asthma.

Several Central Committee members like Ravula Srinivas alias Ramanna (diabetes), Oggu Satwaji (cervical spondylitis), Deepak (knee problem), Modem Balakrishna (knee, thyroid problems and diabetes) and Malla Rajireddy (knee problem, arthritis), have health issues.

“Almost all Central Committee members and senior cadre are suffering from health problems in addition to lifestyle diseases like diabetes and BP. State and zonal committee members too have issues,” revealed the health documents.

Senior orthopaedic consultant Dr Sudheer Reddy said, “Those who live in the forest areas suffer from constant injury to the bones because they are walking on rough and uneven surfaces. Also, they are prone to various viral infections, which affect the bones and cartilages. Chikungunya is one of the harshest forms of viral infections, which sets in viral arthritis. Hence, injury and viruses are two main reasons why they develop problems in the bones.”

General physician Dr D. Shanker added, "The development of diabetes in these people is mostly due to age. It's an age-related disease in them and not due to any lifestyle disorder.”

Amaravati set to borrow Vijayawada’s problems : Major redevelopment strategies have to be implemented in the surrounding areas

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Painting a thorny picture of the ground situation in Andhra Pradesh’s Capital Region, Singapore planners observed that Vijayawada is facing heavy traffic congestion and pollution due to inadequate roads and said that Amaravati may face the same problems.

“With the new capital city located near Vijayawada there is a very high possibility of the same problems developing in the capital city even before it is developed. Major redevelopment strategies have to be implemented in the surrounding areas.

There is heavy traffic congestion due to inadequate lane capacity, poor roads and the under funding of road maintenance.
The expansion of NHs and roads are expected to solve traffic problems. However, there is a need to study projected demand in the new capital,” the planners said.

There is heavy traffic congestion due to inadequate lane capacity, poor roads and the under funding of road maintenance

They said that even the rail junction is congested and the airport has no land to expand. In the perspective plan for the capital the Singapore experts said that there was no sewage system in villages of the capital city and that people defecate openly in canals. The planners also expressed concerns over the encroachments of hills.

“Due to the absence of a sewage system the villages have open drains and this later enters the river. Solid waste is dumped in canals passing through cites. People wash clothes and defecate in canals resulting in a polluted water system. The hills have steep slopes. Encroachment and erosion are a major environmental issue,” the planners said in the report.

Doubts flood Andhra capital : Singapore planners recommend platform level of area that hosts downtown, offices, gateway

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The master plan of the AP capital area reveals that the Seed Development Area that covers Lingayapalem, Uddandarayunipalem, Tallayapalem and a few other villages, is relatively higher than the mean sea level and the reported inundation of rivers Krishna and Kondaveeti Vagu.

However, the Singapore planners have stated that at present it is not possible to determine the actual area of inundation based onthe existing data though the satellite imagery and data is accurate.

They have suggested measures to further protect the capital city seed area from flooding by providing diversion drains, channeling storm water along the boundaries of the site into Krishna River.

Suggesting further studies, the planners have observed that there are two possible causes of inundation at the Seed Development area: fluvial flow from the Krishna River and runoff from the Kondaveeti Vagu.

 

The Singapore planners have recommended a platform level of seed area that will host the downtown, government core and gateway, to be at +25m AMSL. This is based on the levels of the existing villages in the catchment as these villages have not been affected by the annual, normal inundation.

Uddandarayunipalem Lanka will have a waterfront and city park, proposed at a minimum of +26m AMSL as the island will not be protected by a bund. The planners said that the actual increase in platform levels are subject to a more detailed hydrological and hydraulic analysis of the Kondaveeti Vagu.

“The Seed Development area is located within the Kondaveeti Vagu catchment. Kondaveeti Vagu is a tributary of Krishna River, with a catchment area of approximately 453 sq. km. The maximum flood level of Krishna River at Prakasam Barrage (approximately 9 km downstream) is +21.7m above mean sea level. The Kondaveeti Vagu has a reported inundation level of +20.0m AMSL during the monsoon. This inundation occurs two-three times a year,” said planners.

The plan states that an existing bund currently protects the Seed Development area from high water levels of Krishna River. The Seed Development area is relatively high, and slopes gently from west to east. Based on the digital elevation maps provided by CRDA, the ground level at the highest point in the west is +26m above mean sea level, whereas the lowest ground is in the southeast area. 

Based on satellite imagery and topographical surveys, the ground levels at the Seed Development are higher than the reported inundation level."

Go phase-wise: Experts

The Singapore government has recommended to the AP government to adopt phasing nine follow up action plans for capital infrastructure construction as part of implementation strategies.

In the first phase called Catalyse, in the first 10 years, the focus will be on urban development and infrastructure project. Phase 2 will focus on monetising urban development including transport infrastructure, botanical gardens and the third phase on sustaining goals including downtown commercial and eastern business park development.

Phase 4 includes city wetland park, multi-disciplinary university, mixed user residential clusters and gateway commercial node. Phase 5 will have an iconic waterfront and island cluster, international convention centre, sports hub. 

Godavari Pushkaralu stampede: VIP ritual built up crowds : 'Heavy influx of pilgrims started increasing as time passed'

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

In the first report on the Rajahmundry stampede submitted to the state government on Wednesday, East Godavari district collector H. Arun Kumar hinted that the large crowd that had built up on Tuesday during the two hours between the inauguration of the Godavari Maha Pushkaralu and the time that people were allowed to enter the ghat was the reason for the tragedy.

Cops and officials regulate the flow the of devotees outside of the Pushkar ghat in Rajahmundry on Wednesday

The report submitted to Andhra Pradesh state government, a copy of which is available with this newspaper, states: “Heavy influx of pilgrims started increasing as time passed, by at about 8.30 am crowd from all directions started breaching the barricades set up for crowd management and attempted to move in various directions.

“The police and security personnel deployed there couldn’t control this flow in front of the Pushkar Ghat, the pivotal location of the event where the crowd from all directions had gathered. It resulted in a stampede at approximately  (sic) 27 pilgrims were declared as ‘brought dead’ at the general hospital, Rajahmundry.”

AP, Telangana intelligence officers attended training on unlawful tapping

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

In a revelation in the ongoing snoop war between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana police, it has come to light that Andhra Pradesh and Telangana intelligence sleuths, had attended training on lawful interception together in the Czech Republic.

It included remote tapping, interception with hand-held devices and voice-based interception.

The WikiLeaks mails, mentioning the training gain significance in light of allegations that though the Special Intelligence Branch (an anti-Naxal spy agency) and Anti-Terror Counter Intelligence cell were trained to keep surveillance on extremists, they used these techniques for political intelligence.

Veeraiah was assigned to bribe Elvis Stephenson, says Telangana ACB : Chandrababu Naidu's name features in the statements of one of the gunman of Mr Veeraiah

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The Anti-Corruption Bureau has nailed TD MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah in the cash-for-vote case with the help of recorded phone conversations deciphered by the Forensic Science Laboratory and the statements given by the gunmen of Mr Veeraiah.

The name of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu features in the statements of one of the gunman of Mr Veeraiah, as well as in the recorded conversations.

It has been revealed by the ACB that Mr Veeraiah had told accused Bishop Harry Sebastian, who had mediated the deal, that he would take responsibility for the bribe amount.

Mr Veeraiah was assigned the job of bribing the Anglo-Indian nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson. ACB additional SP M. Malla Reddy, in the remand report filed in the ACB Special Court on Tuesday, stated: “The conversation of Mr Veeraiah with Bishop Harry Sebastian disclosed that Mr Veeraiah took the responsibility of paying the bribe money.”

Cash-for-vote scam: Forensic report to nail accused : ACB seeks copy; investigation will pick up, say sources

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The Forensic Science Laboratory on Thursday submitted a detailed report in the ACB special court related not only to the conversations that were aired on TV channels, but also several others that reportedly nails the accused in the cash-for-vote scam.

The report revealed several aspects of the conspiracy behind the scam, according to sources.
The ACB had filed a memo in the special court seeking a copy of the report filed by the FSL.  The investigation into the scam is likely to pick up pace, according to ACB sources.

Cash-for vote scam accused and Telugu Desam MLA, A. Revanth Reddy

A FSL officials said, “All recordings have been deciphered. The conversations and contents are decoded. The report is detailed with text messages transcribed between the accused and conspirators.”

ACB sources said that the phone recordings clearly indicated that the accused — TD MLA A. Revanth Reddy, Bishop Harry Sebastian and Jerusalem Mattaiah — had taken the names of several people who actually developed the strategy in the MLC elections.

“There are several names that have come up in the conversations. We will take a call after going through the detailed report of FSL which we are likely to get hand on Friday,” said an ACB official. Top police officials met CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday and briefed him on the developments.

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu is winner in second round : ACB has also failed to secure a statement from Sattupally MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The war between Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has taken an interesting turn with the HC granting bail to TDP MLA A. Revanth Reddy.

With the latest development, Mr Naidu now has the upper hand after losing the initial battle. While Mr Naidu was pushed to a corner following the arrest of Mr Reddy and exposure of videotape and audiotape, pointing a finger at him as the “boss” in the scam, all other developments, mostly in courts, went against Mr Rao.

Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau still grapples to find proof

Even a month after the scam broke out, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has failed to proceed in the case. There is no significant progress in investigation, be it tracing the origin of the Rs 50 lakh bribe paid by Mr Revanth Reddy to nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson or establishing the role of Mr Naidu in the case.

In a big blow to the TRS, on June 29, the High Court took a serious note on the recuse petition filed by Mr Stephenson and issued a contempt notice against him while dismissing his plea. ACB has also failed to apprehend accused Mr Jerusalem Mattaiah who has allegedly taken shelter in AP.

Moreover, the court has granted indefinite relief to Mr Mattaiah from arrest while dealing with the quash petition filed by him. ACB has also failed to secure a statement from Sattupally MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah who has been ducking the agency since a notice was served on him.

Despite armed with a preliminary technical report on forensic evidence, the ACB, which initially wanted to serve notices to several suspects, couldn’t proceed. AP government adviser Parakala Prabhakar said, “Essentially their (TRS government) position is fundamentally flawed. It is inevitable that they will receive setbacks. Our argument is politically and legally very sound.”

Telangana advocates said that Mr Naidu is known for winning legal battles. Advocates’ JAC convenor T. Sriranga Rao said, “There is no separate High Court for TS. We are not yet a full-fledged state. The court should follow procedures at least in these high-profile cases.

Mattaiah is a wanted accused, how can he be granted relief? Naidu is known for playing all kind of tricks. AP prosecutors argued for Mattaiah, who is a private individual wanted in the cash-for-vote scam. We have already complained to judicial authorities regarding the developments. While investigation is in a crucial state, Revanth Reddy should not have been given bail.”

Andhra Pradesh cops’ ‘area’ suspect : Jurisdiction, territorial powers of AP police in legal mess

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

While Andhra Pradesh has five police stations working out of Hyderabad, their jurisdiction and territorial powers are in a big legal mess. AP Anti-Corruption Bureau police station, CID’s two police stations including for cyber crime, the Special Intelligence Branch that deals with Naxals, and Counter Intelligence, which deals with terrorism, operate from Hyderabad.

While the Telangana police claims territorial jurisdiction of Hyderabad, the deputy director of AP Anti-Corruption Bureau’s Central Investigation Unit on Wednesday issued a note asking the public to complain to them about corruption relating to heads of the departments. Interestingly, all heads of departments of the AP government are situated in Hyderabad and now the big legal question is whether TS ACB will have jurisdiction over them or AP ACB.

A senior AP CID official said, “The AP Reorganisation Act restricts jurisdictions of the AP police to 13 districts. However, all major cases belonging to the five wings are booked in the five AP police stations in Hyderabad and are tried by the courts in Hyderabad. So the local court in Telangana deals with AP cases. But the cases that are transferred from AP districts are chargesheeted in the concerned district and dealt with there itself.”

AP DGP J.V. Ramudu said, “Several issues are not sorted out. It can’t be done in day. It is not a textbook wherein problems and solutions are given. Practically there are several issues which need to be sorted out.”

Telangana advocate T. Sriranga Rao said, “Law and order is a state subject. When an offence takes place in Hyderabad, the TS ACB / TS CID will have powers. AP police will have no powers.”

Anti-Corruption Bureau to serve 20 notices in cash-for-vote scam : ACB identified 20 suspects based on call analysis and decided to issue notices

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The Anti-Corruption Bureau has decided to take a decision against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the cash-for-vote case only after receiving a preliminary report from the Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory.

The initial report by APFSL will only reveal whether videotapes of the conversation between accused MLA A. Revanth Reddy and complainant Elvis Stephenson and the recorded conversation between Mr Stephenson and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu are doctored or genuine.

Meanwhile, the ACB will grill other suspects including MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, former MLA Vem Narendar Reddy and Rajya Sabha MPs including C.M. Ramesh and Garikapati Mohan Rao.

The ACB identified 20 suspects based on call data analysis and have decided to issue notice to all of them. It has also decided to alert all airports regarding them.

Cash-for-vote scam: ACB plans to test Chandrababu Naidu’s voice sample

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The Anti-Corruption Bureau has a plan of action in place if Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and cash-for-vote accused A. Revanth Reddy refuse to give voice test samples.

The ACB has decided to dig up voice records of Mr Naidu from the undivided AP Legislative Assembly records or any other authentic government library to compare it with the voice on the tapes.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu

However forensic experts say that it would not be easy as the test samples should contain exact words for comparing with the voice spectrographs on tape.

 An ACB official said, “If the accused or suspects refuse to take the voice test, it would go against them under the Indian Evidence Act. Even if they don’t give the test voice we can get the records from the Legislative Assembly or any other public record and compare them.”

A forensic official of APFSL said, “Collection of sample voice tests shall be done through the court. The accused or suspect have to give consent. If they refuse to give consent, then the burden of proof lies on the accused. However, if it is collected from any other source and compared, it will not be as strong as collecting test samples as there is a possibility of editing.”

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana spooks run riot in Hyderabad : Both state's intelligence offices work from same building, as do the two ACBs

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The common capital Hyderabad has become a battleground for intelligence agencies of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The two state governments are alleging that the intelligence departments are snooping on each other’s government.

Andhra Pradesh intelligence says that since Hyderabad is the joint capital and as the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and other state and political installations are here, they have equal rights

While the Telangana police says that the Andhra Pradesh police has no right to carry out any political intelligence in Hyderabad, particularly against the Telangana government, Andhra Pradesh intelligence says that since Hyderabad is the joint capital and as the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and other state and political installations are here, they have equal rights.

Incidentally both intelligence offices work from the same building, at Lakdikapul, as do the two ACBs that function out of a building in Banjara Hills.

A senior Telangana police official said, “Andhra Intelligence should not resort to intelligence work in Hyderabad. However, we are accepting it as long as it is for the requirement of their government in Andhra Pradesh. But we will never accept them snooping on our government.”

Since the cash-for-vote case, both agencies have stepped up activities of keeping tabs on both governments and the two ruling parties – TDP and TRS.

Red sanders smuggling cases go undetected in AP : Since April 1, 2014, about 549 cases remain unresolved

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Most red sanders smuggling cases are going undetected after seizure of the vehicles carrying the logs in Andhra Pradesh. Thanks to the apathy of forest and the police department which sit on the undetected cases citing lack of evidence. From April 1, 2014 till date around 840 red sanders smuggling cases were recorded and 4,005 persons were arrested. However, 549 cases, in which 462 metric tonnes were seized remained undetected.

A file photo showing red sanders

A forest official said, “Red sanders is seized by both forest and police officials. We catch the vehicles but the drivers and smugglers escape. Unguarded dumps are identified and red sanders logs are unearthed. In these cases it is difficult to nab the accused as we don’t have specific machinery.”

“Red Sanders Anti Smuggling Task Force focuses mostly on major cases and they hand over the seized wood to local police who are busy with other cases and sit on the probe.”

In AP, the Tirupati wild life management division witnessed the highest number of cases of red sanders smuggling. Rajampet and Chittoor East are the two other divisions where smuggling is rampant.

Bandar laddu waits to be geographical indicator : Application was filed in 2013

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Geographical Indication status has been pending for Bandar laddu since the application was filed in 2013 with GI registry at Chennai. Brundavanapura Bandaru Laddu Manufacturers Association claimed the GI tag for Bandar (Machilipatnam) laddu based on its uniqueness in the process of making and ingredients and attachment to a particular geographical region.

Mr S. Ravi, a GI attorney said, “The application is under process. The registry has issued compliance report and the next process is the examination report. It took time as the application number is 433 and the laddu was tested at the Central Food Technology Research Institute at Mysore. It is expected to be granted by the end of the year.”

He added, “I visited the place and drafted the application. Bandar laddu is made of jaggery, Bengal gram flour, ghee, cashew nuts, almonds, and is hand pounded. Bondili community that migrated centuries ago from Bundhelkhand region of UP started making it. Later, locals learned to make it.” Bajara Hills-based Altacit Global Attorneys at Law is now dealing with the GI application. The law office said, “We have sent all clarification to the GI registry in Nov. 2014. All the information from our side has been furnished and it is in the process.”

A huge quantity of Bandar laddus is being exported from Machilipatnam town to various cities in the country and abroad.

The GI is sought under ‘food stuff’ category by Gowra Venkateswara Rao president of the manufacturers association hailing from Edepalli in Machilipatnam. Apart from Bandar (Machilipatnam) the adjoining towns of Pedana, Gudur, Polavaram and Nidumolu in Krishna district too have makers of the laddu. Mr Rao said.

“Nearly 250 families are involved in making of Bandar laddus in and around Bandar. It is estimated a total quantity of 50,000 kgs per annum is produced in the region out of which 10,000 kgs are exported to United States, UAE and European countries. The annual turnover of Bandar laddu is around Rs 2 crore and exports are worth Rs 50 lakh.”

After killings, red sanders task force may lose powerful arms :The government will also improve the mobility of the staff in areas with red sanders

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The AP cops are in a dilemma on whether or not to take away powerful automatic and semi-automatic weapons from the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force and equip them with the regular .303 rifles and short-arm weapons.

Senior officers of AP police and the forest department are divided over this. A section of officials has asked for the powerful weapons to be taken away from the force in the wake of the April 7 encounter killings at the Seshchalam forest in Tirupati. Another section wants the task force to have weapons in due to the alleged threat from sanders smugglers.

The forests in AP are lucrative targets activities like smuggling, mining and poaching. 

A top official of AP police said that no decision had been taken. “Red sanders smugglers are dangerous and there are instances where they are armed. Any decision to take away powerful weapons from the task force will send the wrong signals,” he said.

The AP police which came under severe criticism after the Seshachalam encounter distanced itself from task force saying was is a separate entity.

“The task force has cops and foresters on deputation and is led by the forest chief and is not the direct command of the police. There is a wrong perception that is under the control of police,” said an official.

Red sanders smugglers attend wedding in Dubai : At least 100 smugglers from TN and AP flew to UAE to attend the wedding

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

At least 100 smugglers from Tamil Nadu and AP flew  to the United Arab Emirates to attend the wedding of the daughter of a top international red sanders smuggler, Sahul Hameed, in Dubai. Sahul Hameed a native of Chennai has been residing in Dubai for the past few years and operating a smuggling network.

A top official of AP police confirmed to this correspondent that a continuous tab on the smugglers revealed that a few days ago at least 100 persons linked to red sanders smuggling booked the same flight  from Chennai by Emirates.

“Chittoor and Tirupati police tried to nab them at the airport but in vain,” said the top official. A terror angle to red sanders smuggling is also emerging slowly as several enforcement agencies, including Intelligence Bureau and Karnataka police, are working on a tip off that suspects, a part of Dubai based modules, are believed to have been involved in a terror case in Bengaluru.

Police sources said, “This network is too big. Shahul Hameed owes at least Rs 70 crore to Kollam Gangi Reddy who is now in  Mauritius and his extradition is being delayed as the network has been working against it. When the agencies requested the UAE to deport Sahul Hameed it refused stating he was not involved in any offence in their  country.” Police said one Kandaswamy Venkatesh, who was arrested by  Kadapa police, earlier jumped bail recently and his whereabouts are not known.

Red sanders smuggled by land to China:

Land route to China through Pakistan for Red Sanders smuggling is a big worry for law enforcement agencies in both state and Central-level. Sustained investigations by AP police revealed that around 1,000 tonnes of red sanders were sent out of AP in the past few months through the land route after several law enforcement agencies focussed on the sea route at ports and air cargo. “Now, they are using the land route more as DRI, ED and Customs have become active all over. From Dubai it’s going to Pakistan and then to China. The other route is from WB to Bangladesh or Burma and then to China,” said an official.

ISIS suspects, planning to target BJP and RSS, nabbed from Madhya Pradesh

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Intelligence Bureau-led operations have revealed that Syria-based terror operatives, suspected to be part of the Islamic State, have planned attacks on leaders of the BJP and the RSS and police officials in the country including in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Investigations over the last few days following the busting of a terror module by the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad found that the group was being persuaded to carry out terrorist strikes in India.

Following the arrest of several terror suspects in Hyderabad and the death of IS recruit Ateef Waseem of Mancherial in Adilabad district in Syria, intelligence agencies have been on high alert. The IB said that the MP ATS had arrested four residents of Ratlam.

14 students, planning to join Islamic State, stopped at Hyderabad airport

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Some students going to Britain and other European countries from Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana to pursue MS in engineering, are falling prey to the Islamic State. According to state intelligence agencies, 14 people have been identified including those who have joined IS or were stopped at the airports on their way to Syria and Iraq.

Police suspects more of them may have been working with the Islamic State; it is difficult to track them as they are leaving from Britain and other European countries. The death of Ateef Waseem from Mancherial in Adilabad district late last week while fighting for the IS in Syria has alerted both the state and Central intelligence agencies, which began verification of students with suspicious links going to these countries.

The mobile phone call data of Waseem in Hyderabad while he was studying at the Shadan Engineering College is being verified. A senior officer said the police had counselled 11 youths while they were trying to join the IS, after nabbing them at the airports.

Islamic State militants | Representational image (Photo: AFP/File)

 

Another person identified as Solmon Moinuddin has been arrested. “All the youth belong to different engineering colleges. We can keep watch on them when they are here and it is difficult to track them once they go out of the country. Outside there is lot of scope for exposure and they use the internet widely. Most are suspects from Hyderabad and a few from other parts of Telangana,” the officer said.

Waseem went to London to pursue his Masters. The family claimed that they got an SMS in Arabic language which they got translated. Earlier the city police foiled an attempt by six youth including two engineers, a former Google employee, for trying to join ISIS ranks. A 19-year-old woman from the city, a resident of Qatar, also tried to join the IS. Four others were tracked down at Kolkata while trying to go to Iraq.

The Intelligence Bureau has started Operation Chakrayuh to counsel the youth who try to join the IS. “All those youths who were counselled so far are under constant surveillance. There are no signs of them trying to rejoin ISIS or being involved in any suspicious activities,” said a police officer.

Red sander facials to be sold by Andhra Pradesh : AP officials said Chinese too extensively use red sanders powder for pharma and cosmetic use

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to sell red sanders powder as an aid for facials and also other pharma products related to the prized wood. Following the footsteps of the Kerala Forest Development Corporation, which has been selling red sanders powder for facial packs and other skin treatment medicines, the AP government has asked the AP Forest Development Corporation Limited to come up with similar products.

AP principal chief conservator of forests A.V. Joseph confirmed that the government had given instructions to the corporation regarding the sale of red sanders powder for facial and for pharma uses. “Instructions were given to the corporation regarding the use of red sanders powder for facial and pharma uses. The existing law doesn’t prevent their sale. Kerala has got some allotments from AP and they are selling it,” said Mr Joseph.

Some private companies are selling red sanders powder as an aid for enhancing sexual power. Officials of Kerala Forest Development Corporation said that they purchase red sanders from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

“Red sanders facial is very popular and is sold, along with sandalwood, in all outlets of KFDC and particularly at tourist spots like Munnar. Red sanders powder facial will help in removing scars on the face and treat pimples and also enrich beauty," said an official of Kerala Forest Development Corporation.

Amaravati is 122 square kilometres : Capital region, however, is around 7,068 square kms

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday issued orders formally notifying the name of its capital city, as “Amaravati”. The order comes three weeks after the state Cabinet headed by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, unanimously approved the name on April 1.
The name Amaravati is confined to only 122 square kms of the “capital city” area between Vijayawada and Guntur districts on the Krishna River bank. It does not include the entire 7,068 square kms capital region area.

The Government Order Ms No. 97 issued on Thursday by the municipal administration principal secretary, Giridhar Aramane states that the name Amaravati is being notified for the capital city area extending up to 122 sq kms.
This gives scope to the AP government to ultimately give in to the demand from party workers and a couple of senior ministers to name at least the capital region area after party founder president and former chief minister late N. T. Rama Rao.

“The government, after due consideration of history of the Telugu people and aspirations of the state population, hereby notifies that the capital city be named as ‘Amaravati’,” Mr Aramane said in the G.O.

Capital may have ‘China Town’

According to the master plan being prepared by the Singapore team, the AP capital Amaravati will have a “China Town”. The “China town”, akin to those in Singapore and other countries, will include Chinese institutions, restaurants and shopping centres.
AP government communication adviser Parakala Prabhakar revealed that as part of several initiatives to draw Chinese investments, AP has decided to set up the China Town in Amaravati.

The government is also working on the proposal to involve a Chinese firm that built 75 per cent of the “Three Gorges Dam” the world’s largest —  hydropower project —  to take part in the Polavaram dam construction, if the Centre gives its nod.

A China industrial township is on the anvil. “The location is not yet finalised. But there is a solid proposal to work on,” said Mr Prabhakar. Mr Prabhakar said, ?The Chinese are known for constructing huge projects at a quick pace. We are working on an idea to involve the firm that was involved in the Three Gorges Dam construction and it depends on the Centre. We want to focus on three areas regarding Chinese investments construction of dams, solar power and electronics manufacturing units.

The state government that has already introduced Japanese, now wants to introduce Chinese in universities in AP, including Andhra University in Vizag, Nagarjuna University in Guntur and SV University in Tirupati. A China desk has already been proposed to clear investments from Chinese companies speedily.

A China industrial township is on the anvil. The location is not yet finalised. But there is a solid proposal to work on, said Mr Prabhakar. He added that majority of the lands on the banks that stretch to around 10 lakh acres, is government owned.

Telugu actress Neetu Agarwal ‘routed’ money for red sanders smugglers

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The Kurnool police is on the lookout for Tollywood actress Neetu Agarwal after mentioning her as an accused in a red sanders smuggling case. Officials found money transferred from her bank account to red sanders smugglers. Agarwal acted in Telugu film Prema Prayanam, produced by red sanders smuggler and YSR Congress leader K. Mastan Vali.

Investigating officials are trying to probe if producer and red sanders smuggler K. Mastan Vali married Tollywood actress Neetu Agarwal. 

A senior investigating official said, “Mastan Vali was married thrice. His first wife lives in Mutyalapadu in Chagalamarri and his second wife has deserted him. We are trying to confirm the information that he had married Neetu and had been living with her.
Our information is that he had gifted her a flat, a car and a bike in Hyderabad. When we checked her bank account it was found that money was transferred to red sanders smugglers from her account.”

During investigation police found links with Agarwal. “We added her as an accused in the FIR. She is a conspirator in the case and is absconding,” said officials. Kurnool district superintendent of police A. Ravi Krishna said, “We are looking for her to question her in the red sanders case”.

Forest staff aid red sanders smugglers : Many outsourced employees joined smugglers after discovering forest routes

By U Sudhakar Reddy

“Tablas”, “chocolates” and “cigarettes” are regularly smuggled out of the country from the forests of Chittoor, Kurnool, Nellore and Kadapa districts.
These, however, are not musical instruments or candies or smokes. They are code names for the red sanders that are smuggled to the rest of the world.

During investigation into the smuggling network, the Andhra Pradesh police has not only unearthed the modus operandi of the smugglers, their nexus with politicians, and their routes, they have also decoded their language.
Director General of Police Mr J.V. Ramudu told DC that red sanders smugglers use codes for the processed logs. “If the priced wood is a long one it is called “cigarette” by smugglers, a round and short piece is known as ‘tabla’ and a square shaped log is a ‘chocolate’. The demand varies for these in the international market.”

He revealed that since there is no time to process the wood at the ports from where the wood is smuggled out, smugglers process and number the logs in the forests itself where they are cut.


This is in view of the queries raised after the Seshachalam encounter killing of 20 illegal woodcutters wherein processed logs with paint marks and numbers were found at the encounter scene.

Apart from the Red Sanders Anti Smuggling Task Force led by the Forest department, the AP police too has started to crack down on the racket. In special operations conducted across the country, 31 interstate smugglers have been arrested. Around 51 smugglers have also been detained under the PD Act.
Mr Ramudu said, “Smugglers often change their cell phones. In a red sanders dump at Nellore district, around 40 cell phones were found recently. This shows how they use the phones and change them often to avoid being tracked.”

Police also strongly suspect the role of forest department officials, particularly the outsourced employees, for aiding smugglers as the logs are processed in the forest itself.

A senior police official said, “Outsourced employees of the forest department are aiding the smugglers. They find out routes in the forest after working for six months or a year with the forest department. Later they quit and join the smuggling gangs. We have arrested several of these outsourced employees."

Police have also arrested at least 40 RTC drivers for helping smugglers transport the red sanders. “Each RTC driver is paid Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 for each person carrying the prized wood.”

Red sanders smugglers’ killings: Encounter theory has loose ends, loopholes in police version

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Have the police in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana become “trigger-happy”, as alleged by human rights activists, and resorting to encounters as acts of revenge for the death of four cops in the two recent firing incidents?

There are several doubts being raised about the self-defence claims made by the cops who killed the 20 “red sanders smugglers” in Chitoor in Andhra Pradesh and the five undertrials at the Warangal-Nalgonda border in Telangana.

The nation is currently asking how justifiable and proportionate were the killings by the police of both the states.

In Seshachalam, those killed were apparently illegal woodcutters who were hired by red sanders smugglers. “The issue pertaining to killing of TN labourers has huge ramifications. It would have been an international row if fisherman were shot dead in Sri Lankan waters for fishing illegally. So there is nothing wrong in Tamil Nadu seeking a probe,” said general secretary of the Human Rights Forum V.S. Krishna.

People’s Union for Civil Liberties condemned the encounter of 20 people in Seshachalam calling it a “massacre”.
PUCL national general secretary Dr V. Suresh said, “The massacre is nothing but an attempt to hoodwink the public about wholesale deforestation.”

The Human Rights Forum has demanded that a murder case be booked against the police personnel who participated in the alleged encounters and they be criminally prosecuted. “Police simply cannot wash their hands off after declaring that they were under attack and had to fire in self-defence. Whether there was a justifiable plea of self-defence is a matter to be decided by the courts and not the police. The law will not have it any other way,” said Mr Krishna.

However, cops and retired DGPs brush aside the allegations. Former director general of Sashastra Seema Bal M.V. Krishna Rao said, “If they were just labourers why did they come at 3 am and that too 60 km away from their native state? Smugglers are ultra-rich and they only finance these labourers. It is the money that lures them all the way.”

Telangana encounter: 2 Simi killed were the most ferocious

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Mohammed Aijajuddeen and Mohammed Aslam alias Bilal, of Madhya Pradesh, who were killed in the Nalgonda encounter were the most “ferocious and fearsome” among the five known terror suspects of Simi’s “terror funding through robbery module”, said sources.

Aijajudden had been elected “amir” of the module after the arrest of Abu Faisal Khan in December 2013. Under him, the module had pulled off many robberies and murders in several states.

“The duo topped the list of the country’s most wanted homegrown terrorists. The module had looted at least Rs 4.5 crore in gold and cash. They had even attacked a judge in MP after their module members were convicted. Though three more suspects and local module members are still absconding, it is a relief that the chief of the module is dead,” said a top official of TS police department.

While confirming that the duo in the Janakipuram encounter were Simi activists, Telangana state DGP Anurag Sharma said that their role had been confirmed in the Karimnagar Choppadandi Rs 46 lakh-SBI robbery case and their involvement was also suspected in the dacoity at Muthoot Finance in Ramachandrapuram of Medak earlier in February in which 3.3 kg gold was looted by five armed men.

A top official of the Medak police said, “There are several similarities between the Choppa-dandi SBI and Muthoot Finance heists. In both cases they took away the CCTV footage storing devices However, in the Muthoot case, they had knives, no firearms. Also, the fingerprints did not match with that of the dead suspects.” Police say that the module also has links with the Indian Mujahideen.

Only 791 houses get Piped Natural Gas in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Kakinada :Poor KG Basin output, apathy of colonies hit piped gas project

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Gas distribution networks have failed to reach targets of domestic piped natural gas connections in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Kakinada. In five years, Hyderabad had to get 2.66 lakh PNG connections, but so far only 791 houses have got connections. Lack of sufficient supply to gas distribution network companies and fall in gas production in KG Basin, and no willingness from housing colonies are being cited as the major reasons for not achieving the targets.

Only Medchal and Suchitra areas in Hyderabad are being covered for piped natural gas. Bhagyanagar Gas Limited, a joint venture of GAIL and HPCL, couldn’t achieve the target of 97,267 gas connection in Vijayawada and only 159 houses were supplied natural gas by 2014.  In Kakinada, against a target of 15,000 by 2014, only 2082 households have been connected.  In Vijayawada, only parts of Ajitsingh Nagar is being supplied PNG.

Mr A.K Mithal, managing director of Bhagyanagar Gas Limited Corporation, said, “The major issue has been availability of gas. There is shortage of supply from Reliance. The other major setback in terms of PNG is no willingness from the customers and housing societies who prefer subsidized LPG cylinders though it is costlier than PNG. PNG has several advantages over LPG, like no booking or waiting problem, payment as per usage, no pilferage and accurate meter reading.

Initially PNG costs BGL around Rs 20,000 for each lifetime installation, however, as per the PNG Regulatory Board norms, we are collecting only Rs 5000 refundable deposit. Whatever profit the company is getting from CNG has been covering the losses of PNG.” He added that several areas in all towns had been identified for domestic PNG supply. On February 21, 2015, BGL had written to the district registrar stating, “BGL is visiting each registered PNG customer and trying to convince them for taking PNG connection. We are facing resistance from certain societies, we request the district registrar to give directions to all these societies to take PNG connections.”

Meanwhile the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulator Board has issued notification for bidding of geographical areas in East Godavari and Krishna district excluding the existing authorized areas. The bids will close in April.

Ban on cuss words in Telugu : ‘Censors caution filmmakers on what's obscene'

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The list contains more than 30 Telugu words including nayala, mushti nayala, chillara nayala, VP, Nee Amma, Amma Nee Amma, Chetta Na Kodaka, Gadida Kodaka, Bokka, Bongu and several other more objectionable and abusive words. Most of the words have double meaning and are abusive towards women.

Though Monday’s meeting at Mumbai chaired by CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani has reportedly decided to put the implementation of the list of cuss words on hold, there has been no written direction to the regional authorities regarding the same.

 However, according to CBFC advisory board members, most of the words in the cuss list are highly abusive and are not allowed in films.

An advisory board member of CBFC said, “The list of cuss words was prepared in 2003. Most of the highly abusive words are not allowed. But the board didn’t take serious note of some of the words during censor screening and certification and as a result they made it in Telugu films. The same list has now been re-circulated.” The Telugu lists contains a few caste names too.

Attempts to contact CBFC CEO Shravan Kumar failed. Earlier, the new CBFC chief had given all regional offices a list of 15 Hindi and 13 English words.
The controversial, objectionable and abusive words’ list compiled Mr Pahlaj Nihalani has been reportedly put on hold.

5 SIMI suspects may be in Andhra Pradesh

By U Sudhakar Reddy

A look out notice was sent to the Andhra Pradesh police regarding five absconding Students of Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) terror suspects who are thought to be involved in the Bengaluru blast. The alert came after reports that they may have sneaked into AP districts like Nellore.

The SIMI terror suspects who escaped from Khandwa jail in Madhya Pradesh. Police is scouting Tada, Arambakam of Nellore district and Satyavedu of Chittor district. The alert says that the suspects do petty business on the roadside and conduct reconnaissance of the areas to carry out terror attacks. It said they use Hindu names.

Investigations by the Telangana State police found the gang linked to around eight bank robberies in the country. Four SIMI activists, who broke out of Khandwa jail, are suspected to be involved in the Rs 46 lakh robbery in SBI where cash was looted at gunpoint on Feb. 1, 2014.

The terror suspects were identified as Aijajudeen, Aizaz alias Riyaz alias Rahul, 30 a resident of Narsinghpur, Shaikh Mehboob Guddu alias Malik, Zakir Hussain Sadiq alias Vicky Don alias Vinay Kumar, 25, a resident of Khandwa, Amzad alias Daud, 25, a resident of Khandwa and Aslam alias Mohammed Aslam alias Soheb alias Bilal alias Santosh, 26, a resident of Khadwa in Madhay Pradesh.

Police is scouting Tada, Arambakam in Nellore district and Satyavedu in Chittor district. The alert says that the suspects with Hindu names do petty business on the roadside and conduct reconnaissance of the areas to carry out terror attacks. The Tamil Nadu police also stepped up vigilance on the movements of the SIMI terror suspects.

Investigations by the Telangana police found the gang linked to around eight bank robberies in the country, including that in Choppadandi, Karimnagar.

Four SIMI activists, who broke out of the Khandwa jail, are suspected to be involved in the Rs 46 lakh robbery in SBI where cash was looted at gunpoint on Feb. 1, 2014.

The accused were also involved in the Bijnor blast. In Bijnor, when they were manufacturing IEDs, one exploded. They took the injured, identified as Mehboob alias Guddu, to a hospital where they were caught on CCTV and the footage matched with that of images of the suspects.

Location draws firms to Sri City

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Its advantage Sri City, the integrated business city situated on the Andhra-Tamil Nadu border, as economic zones in neighbouring states have become congested and AP is offering uninterrupted power supply. Post bifurcation, the power supply to industrial sector has improved in residual AP. This, and the geographical location, has given Sri City, the city that was showcased by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during his recent foreign visits to attract investors, an edge.

Multinational giants from Japan, the US and other countries are queuing up at Sri City to set up their manufacturing and assembling plants ranging from automobiles to soft toys to bring in a total investment of around Rs 19,000 crore. In the past five years, 104 companies from 25 countries have set up shop in the Sri City. According to Sri City managing director Ravindra Sannareddy, five more MNCs are expected to start their plants soon, as discussions are in the final stage.

Sri City’s location, on the Golden Quadrila-teral, proximity  to four seaports and two airports, are among the advantages it has to attract foreign investors. Mr Sannareddy said, “Jurong Consultants are the master planners for both the Suzhou Industrial Park in Shanghai and Sri City. They are also working on the Master Plan for the AP capital. What Hosur is to Karnataka, Sri City is to AP, where horizontal growth is being witnessed.”

He added, “Bifurcation has nothing to do with the growth of Sri City. It is the ecosystem that makes it special. After bifurcation, there are no power cuts to industries in AP. Besides, we hope the tax incentives promised by Parliament will attract more companies.”

J. Senthil Kumar of AISAN, a Japanese au-tomobile parts company that became operational in June 2014 in Sri City, says, “Due to geographical advantages our customers Nissan and Toyota have in Sriperambadur, we have dropped the Bengaluru idea and have set up our plant here. Our Japanese team had conducted a research and based on its finding, Sri City was finalised. The location is huge and not congested. Isuzu is also setting up a plant, before this place gets congested.”