A team of police on Wednesday arrested A Chandra Rao (55), a resident of Marthapeta Street in the city, on the charge of giving shelter to now-arrested Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda two years ago.
Notably, police had arrested Sabyasachi from Rao’s house on July 18, 2014. The police had also seized huge quantities of firearms and Maoist literature from the house.
The team arrested Rao while he was going to a private health clinic at the New Bus Stand around 10.30 am on Wednesday. It too seized Rs 900, a mobile and some documents from him, said Additional SP Trinath Patel at a Press meet here.
As Sabyasachi was residing in the house since long, police were on the lookout for Rao, who had managed to escape after the incident.
A case has been registered on the charges of providing shelter to the Maoist leader, said the ASP.
Refuting the charge at the Press meet, Rao said he was in house when Sabyasachi was arrested. “I have no relationship with any Maoist. Sabyasachi was staying in my house as a tenant in name of Gopal Rao. My mother had given him a house on rent as she did not recognize him,” said Rao.
Brahmapur SDPO Santanu Das and IICs of different police stations of the city were present at the Press meet.