The Hindu : APCLC leader returns home, denies he was abducted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

APCLC leader returns home, denies he was abducted

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD NOV. 7. The alleged kidnap of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC) president, G. Laxman, took an interesting turn when he returned home on Friday evening and disputed the allegations of abduction while maintaining that he had gone to Yadagirigutta.

The alleged abduction of Dr. Laxman by the self-styled Tirumala Tigers demanding the release of Siraj, a renegade naxalite from the custody of the People's War (PW), led to some tension on Friday morning after the bullet-ridden body of Siraj was found. Apprehending that Dr. Laxman could be killed, balladeer Gadar and other civil liberties activists met the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, and urged him to initiate steps to get him released.

Mr. Naidu convened a high level meeting of police officers and instructed them to make efforts to trace the civil liberties leader, even as rumours spread that Dr. Laxman was killed and his body dumped on Bhongir road. The Nalgonda and Cyberabad police which sent search parties soon clarified that no body was found.

By evening, Dr. Laxman returned to his quarter on his vehicle. Even as scores of reporters waited, he went inside the house only to come out again after two hours. Dr. Laxman was tonsured and appeared to be in a daze and some bruises were visible on his body. He pleaded with the reporters not to ask any questions, but to write only what he was saying. "I was not kidnapped. I had gone to Yadagirigutta and came back.''

However, doubts remained over the kidnap episode with the APCLC's general secretary, Sheshaiah maintaining that he didn't believe in what Dr. laxman was saying. "Probably, he is scared of threats". The mediapersons who expected some startling revelations sought clarifications from Dr. Laxman. But he somewhat curtly pleaded, " don't ask any further questions.''

Representatives of several organisations like Sandhya of Progressive Organisation of Women, who staged demonstration at Osmania University's Administrative Block demanding safe release of Dr. Laxman today, were heard saying,`We're shocked, something has gone wrong somewhere'. Sources said that other office-bearers of the Committee suggested to Dr. Laxman to resign his post if he faced any personal problems undertaking the Committee's activities.

The incident pushed the APCLC into an embarrassing situation as one of its members and an advocate, Raghunath, told the reporters on Thursday night Dr. Laxman was kidnapped by some unidentified persons belonging to `Tirumala Tigers', demanding release of a renegade naxal, Siraj, who was in the captivity of PW naxals.

The APCLC leaders, along with Dr. Laxman's family members, met the Chief Minister and submitted a memorandum seeking his release. Later, along with activists of the other civil rights organisations, they went to the OU Administrative Block and staged a demonstration demanding his release. Even as the agitation was on, the news of Dr. Laxman's release reached them. The APCLC leaders rushed to his house only to find Dr. Laxman rebutting his abduction charges a couple of hours later.

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