The call data record (CDR) of the phone calls between J. Appa Rao and his contacts in the Agency and other places helped the police nab him and three others in the case of supply of explosives to the Maoists, SP K. Praveen claimed here on Thursday. Giving details of the case against the professor and three others — Vasapari Prasad of Pedaboddepalli, Narsipatnam; Ganapathiraju Subba Raju alias Varma of Kakinada, and K. Jagadeesh of Kakinada, Dr. Praveen said at a press conference that a watch had been kept on Prof. Appa Rao and others. He had arranged delivery of cellphones, camera flash, tabloid, battery cells etc. in the past and went for explosives now when the Maoists wanted them, the SP said.

Those who were executing laterite mining on behalf of the Girijan licence holder were contacted and ammonium nitrate weighing 300 kg was procured at Kathipudi in East Godavari and along with them 500 electronic detonators, 100 ordinary detonators, a tab and three mobile phones were being transported in a car. The Narsipatnam town police, on receiving information, caught Prasad and Subbaraju at Narsipatnam and on the basis of information received from them, picked up the AU professor and Jagadeesh. The SP alleged that Prof. Appa Rao went deep into the Agency jungles to talk to the Maoists. A senior Maoist leader Bakuri Ganesh was his childhood friend.