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Four arrested for Hyderabad's blasphemous pamphlet

The mystery behind the provocative pamphlet which triggered off communal riots in the Old City last month was solved with the arrest of four people in Hyderabad yesterday.

Police Commissioner R P Singh told a news conference on Tuesday evening that the police were looking for former city mayor A Pochaiah, belonging to the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul- Muslemeen, who was suspected to be the brain behind the 'Dancing Ganesh' pamphlet.

"Pochaiah and his three sons were absconding. Right now we are not able to link the Inter Services Intelligence angle," the commissioner added.

Vinod Kumar, a native of Maharashtra, K Narasimha, T Rajan and J Ramulu, who had helped in the design and distribution of the pamphlet were arrested on Tuesday.

Pochaiah, according to Singh, had hired Vinod Kumar, a native of Hingoli, who after an unsuccessful career as an idol caster, was working with a clothier at Krishnanagar in the city to produce the pamphlet. The former mayor had advanced Rs 20,000 of the promised Rs 200,000 for the job to Vinod Kumar.

Vinod then got in touch with painter Narasimha at Secunderabad to design the pamphlet with the assistance of P Rajan of Addagutta. The provocative lines on the poster were penned by Vinod and Rajan.

The group photocopied 400 copies of the poster and the pamphlet was distributed near the mosque at Nayapul and Engine Bowli, Moghulpura Tank and Jangampet area of Chatrinaka division.

The police seized the pamphlet on June 1 and communal riots flared up after the Friday prayers on June 5, which took a heavy toll of life and property.

The police was tipped off by an autorickshaw driver who overheard a conversion between Rajan and Narasimha in an inebriated condition about the non-payment of the balance amount from Pochaiah. This led to arrest of the four people.

The autorickshaw driver will be given a cash reward of Rs 100,000, the police commissioner said.

Asked about the second pamphlet which Union Home Minister L K Advani had referred to in the Lok Sabha, Singh said it was apparently not circulated among the people. Unlike the crude pamphlet, the second pamphlet was a perfect one. ''We have one copy and not many were circulated,'' he added.

UNI

EARLIER REPORTS:
Advani assures detailed statement on Hyderabad riots
Hyderabad violence was sparked off by anti-Muslim pamphlets
4 killed in Hyderabad as army is placed on stand by

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