Pune police get custody of Varavara Rao

Telugu poet Varavara Rao

Revolutionary Telugu writer and poet Varavara Rao, accused of having Maoist links, was taken into custody on Saturday by Pune police from Hyderabad in a case related to Elgar Parishad. Rao was so far under house arrest in Hyderabad.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Pune) Shivaji Bodakhe said an extension of his house arrest, granted by the Hyderabad High Court, expired on November 15. "We are in the process of bringing him to Pune. He might be produced before court on Sunday," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Suhas Bauche told mid-day.

Rao is allegedly accused of being part of the conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The police are investigating Rao's role in supplying arms. As per letters retrieved in the Elgar case, Rao was allegedly trying to procure arms from Nepal and Manipur. These arms were to be brought via Chhattisgarh, the police had said.
With agency inputs

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