Pro Appa Rao remanded, uneasy calm in AU
VISAKHAPATNAM: The special judicial first class magistrate remanded Andhra University associate professor J Appa Rao and three others in judicial custody in Visakhapatnam. All the four accused were arrested on charges of providing logistic support to Maoists apart from supplying explosives Thursday.
According to the Visakhapatnam rural police, Appa Rao, along with other accused K Jagadish, V Prasad and G Subba Raju, were produced in the court Friday.
'Soon after presenting them before the media, the accused were produced before the special judicial first class magistrate in Visakhapatnam,' a police official said.
The arrested were sent for judicial remand for 14 days till November 20. The police said that they would seek the custody of the accused for investigation of the case shortly.
Even as Appa Rao's family members, including his wife Mynavathi, are making arrangements to fight his case in the court, an uneasy calm prevailed on the Andhra University campus. The staff and students, who were vocal about their respect and affection towards Appa Rao Thursday, remained tight-lipped over the incident Friday.
'Appa Rao's arrest has left everyone in shock. The fear of incurring the wrath of police, has forced many members of the staff and students to keep to themselves. We have observed that the police were videographing the dharna staged by us before the rural SP's office Thursday,' said a research scholar of Andhra University.
The university authorities were so shocked over the incident that they have ignored the birth anniversary celebrations of Sir CV Raman who is an alumnus of Andhra University, probably for the first time.
Meanwhile, the CPI Visakhapatnam district council condemned the late night arrest of Appa Rao. District council secretary M Stalin alleged that the Visakhapatnam rural police did not follow normal procedures like informing the vice-chancellor or producing an arrest warrant before arresting Appa Rao.
'The services of Appa Rao as an associate professor were also ignored. We demand that the police release Appa Rao immediately,' he said. The CPI leaders said that Appa Rao was targeted as he was supporting the tribals fighting against bauxite mining in the Agency area.
News Posted: 8 November, 2014
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