Ballari: Ballari BJP MP B. Sriramulu, a close confidante of Reddy mine barons, has been served a notice by the Anantapur police of Andhra Pradesh in an arms smuggling case. Anantapur Town Circle Inspector Reddeppa met Ballari SP R. Chetan on Friday evening, briefed him about the case, and sought his cooperation.
Later, Mr Reddeppa, accompanied by Cowl Bazar Sub-Inspector Mohammed Gouse, visited Mr Sriramulu’s residence and handed him the notice. Mr Sriramulu has been asked to appear before the Anantapur police, within eight days, to clarify whether he purchased a firearm from arms smugglers of Anantapur.
Sources said that Mr Sriramulu received the notice and told the Andhra police that he would cooperate with the probe. Mr Sriramulu told Deccan Chronicle that it was yet another attempt to malign his name and it was a politically motivated case.
“I came to know through the media that I had purchased the weapon in 2002, which has come as a shock to me. In my nearly three decades of public life, I have never encouraged illegal activities or involved with the people connected with anti-social activities. I hope that truth will prevail and I come out clean,” he said.
The Anantapur police on Wednesday arrested a suspected arms smuggler, Chalichimala Satyanarayan, who reportedly told the Anantapur police that Mr Sriramulu had bought a weapon from him.
