Pune: Sanjay Deepak Rao (age 60) was arrested by the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) from the custody of Telangana police. Rao faces charges for propagating Maoist ideology in urban areas under various aliases in Telangana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
On Thursday (July 11), the ATS sought permission from Special Judge V. R. Kachare's court for Rao's DNA profiling.
Maoist leader Konath Muralidharan alias Thomas (age 61, originally from near Kochi Refineries, Ernakulam, Kerala), and accomplice Ismail Hamza CP alias James Mathew (from Vala Rand, Pandikand, Malappuram, Kerala) were arrested by the ATS on May 8, 2015.
The investigation revealed their membership in the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and their involvement in spreading Maoist ideology in urban areas while operating underground.
Subsequently, a case was registered against their associate, Sanjay Deepak Rao, who had been absconding since then. The ATS filed a charge sheet against Konath and Ismail on October 14, 2015, and they were later granted bail.
Following his escape, Rao continued to spread Maoist ideology while remaining underground. Telangana police apprehended him last year and recovered a revolver from his possession.
Rao was taken into custody from Cherlapally Jail in Hyderabad and subsequently presented before the Shivajinagar court by the ATS. Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar argued in court that Rao, using multiple fake identities across states, had engaged in activities for the banned Maoist organization.
Various Aadhaar cards with different names were seized from him. Pawar emphasized the necessity of conducting a DNA test to confirm Rao's identity, for which blood samples would be required. ATS Assistant Police Commissioner Subhash Dudhgavkar filed an application in court regarding this matter.
Rao's defense lawyers, Adv. Rohan Nahar and Adv. Parth Shah, opposed the DNA test. The court has scheduled a hearing on the ATS's application for July 15. Meanwhile, the court ordered Rao to be kept in judicial custody.