Nalgonda top cop dismisses YSRCP leader's allegations on ganja raids

Nalgonda: The comments made by Parliamentary Party leader of YSRCP and MP Vijay Sai Reddy alleging that the Nalgonda police had enacted a drama in the Araku agency area by an IPS officer who was close to TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu came in for sharp criticism from Nalgonda Superintendent of Police A V Ranganath.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the SP said it is unfair to degrade the commitment of police who are constantly working for the preservation of peace and security at the cost of their lives. He appealed to leaders of political parties not to fire their political guns over the shoulder of the police.

Explaining what exactly happened, Ranganath said following the instructions of the Telangana Government, the police had intensified their anti-ganja operations. On Vijaya Dasami day, 17 police teams from Nalgonda district launched Operation Ganja in AOB.

He said that he had spoken to Visakha Rural SP Krishna Rao and East Godavari District SP Rabindranath Babu about their operation. SP (DTC) Nalgonda Satish Chodagiri was posted as Special Officer to coordinate with the police teams for the Operation Ganja in AOB.

Satish stayed at the Vizag Rural District Police Guest House for three days (October 15 to 17) and also met the Visakhapatnam Rural SP. He said the Andhra Pradesh Police had extended their co-operation throughout the operation and helped in all possible ways in apprehending the culprits.

Nalgonda police teams have arrested and nabbed cannabis traders living in remote Naxal-affected remote villages in AOB. On October 17, the Nalgonda police teams were forced to open fire on cannabis gangs to protect themselves from attacks by ganja gangs at Lambasingi under the Chintapalli police station in Visakhapatnam district. Ranganath added that more than 1,000 kilos of cannabis was seized during the operation.

Ranganath said geographically, Nalgonda district shares the border with Andhra Pradesh. Cannabis has been found being transported on the national highway to Hyderabad and other parts of the country. Prior to Operation Ganja, about 35 cases were registered. All the accused arrested confessed their crimes and informed that they were getting ganja from AOB, he said.

He said that the cannabis problem was not a new one in the AOB and all senior police officers were aware that this problem has been there for over 15 years. He took strong objection to the comment of Vijay Sai Reddy that he was close to former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

Ranganath said, "It is unfair for leaders of political parties of Andhra Pradesh to use Operation Ganja in AOB for their political purposes." He urged the AP politicians to put politics aside and work as responsible leaders to eradicate cannabis at all levels and safeguard the future of the country and the youth.

He said as a responsible SP, he has been discharging his duties beyond politics with a commitment for the last four years. He further added that apart from AOB sources, Nalgonda police teams carried out raids in several districts of Telangana, including Hyderabad (Dhoolpet), Adilabad, Mahabubabad, Bhadrachalam, Sangareddy and Narayanpet.

Ranganath clarified that they will arrest the smugglers of ganja who operate anywhere in India and will produce them before the court of law.