Osmania University Professor held for alleged links with Maoists

A professor of the Osmania University was arrested on Saturday for suspected links with the Maoists, police said. An Associate Professor in the Telugu department, C Kasim was allegedly involved in a case registered under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act among other sections in Mulugu Police station in 2015.

"That case is under investigation and we collected the material pieces of evidence also. Recently some inputs have also been received," Siddipet police Commissioner D Joel Davis said. "We obtained a search warrant and conducted searches at his residence in the early morning. We seized certain documents and some electronic evidence," the police official said.

He further said the police have the incriminating information that the OU faculty is in continuous touch with Maoists party leaders. Kasim is allegedly working as an organiser of "united front vertical" of Maoists for Telangana state. "He is the coordinator for funding and other things," the official said adding Kasim will be produced in a local court in Gajwel on Saturday.

Reacting to the arrest, CPI senior leader Narayana alleged that the government was deliberately harassing intellectuals under the pretext of having Maoist links and foisting false cases. Last year K Jagan, an assistant professor of the OU and a member of Viplava Rachayitala Sangham (Virasam), was picked up from his residence here by a police team from Jogulamba Gadwal district for his suspected links with the Maoists.

In 2018, Virasam leader and renowned Telugu poet P Varavara Rao was arrested by Maharashtra Police in Bhima Koregaon case.