BELLARY: The anti-naxalite cell of the Bellary police, which is on the lookout for Ranga Reddy, a naxalite wanted by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh police in several cases, including murder, has arrested Mukkanna, suspected to be an associate of Ranga Reddy.

Pursuing leads obtained after conducting a raid recently on the hideout of Ranga Reddy at Boodhugumpa village in Koppal district and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including grenades, members of the cell came to know that Mukkanna had been in contact with Ranga Reddy and his associates, who have already been arrested. Mukkanna was arrested from a village in Andhra Pradesh on Monday.

Additional Superintendent of Police D.C. Rajappa told The Hindu that Hanumantha Rayadu, one of the four arrested for allegedly threatening a mine owner along with Ranga Reddy, had contacted Mukkanna, through Pothanna (also arrested in the same case), to get his country pistol repaired. Mukkanna is a blacksmith at Binnigeri village in Aspadi mandalam of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh. He used to visit Bellary frequently to get coal from Pothanna.

Mukkanna asked Hanumantha Rayadu to get him bullets for two revolvers he had. The latter said he would and took the revolvers and asked him to repair the pistol.

One revolver recovered

The police recovered one of the two revolvers from Hanumantha Rayadu when he was arrested from a lodge here.

The police are searching for the second revolver, Dr. Rajappa said.

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