Telangana: NIA chargesheets 8 arrested accused of supplying explosives, drones to Naxals

In order to attack security forces in the Naxal-infested areas of India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) charged eight individuals on Friday with providing lethal explosives, drones, and other equipment to the group.

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967, the Explosive Substances Act, and various sections of the Indian Penal Code have all eight accused in custody since their arrest.

The federal agency said while three of them, working as couriers for the proscribed outfit, were nabbed when they were on their way to supply the explosives, drones and a Lathe machine, the others were apprehended subsequently.

The NIA investigations have revealed that the explosive material recovered from the possession of the three arrested originally, namely Punem Nageswar Rao, Devanuri Mallikarjun Rao and Vollepogula Umashankar, was supplied to them by accused Jannu Koti, Arepalli Srikanth, Tallapalli Arogyam and Bontha Mahender. The latter four had procured the stuff from Sonaboina Kumaraswamy, who held a licence for dealing in explosives.

Further investigation has shown that in March 2023, the trio of couriers Punem, Devanuri, and Vollepogula bought and supplied a drilling machine to the Naxals.