Ten gangsters held in Hyderabad

Ten members of two rival criminal gangs, who are allegedly involved in a string of crimes in various parts of Andhra Pradesh, were arrested by Cyberabad Police here and five lethal weapons with ammunition seized from them, a senior police officer said today.
"The accused who are also involved in hired killings, property offences, besides pseudo naxal and pseudo police offences, were nabbed by sleuths over the past two days from different locations here," Cyberabad Police Commissioner C V Anand told reporters.
Based on interrogation of three accused--S Prasad, K Srinivas Reddy and J Mahender Reddy--who were initially nabbed near Sherilingampally railway station on the intervening night of September 4 and 5, police found that the trio was involved in many criminal cases like murders, murder for gain, hired killings, extortions in the name of naxals among others offences.

Eventually, they were convicted in some of the cases and trial is going on in certain others, police said.
As many as 65 non-bailable warrants are pending against them across the state, Anand said.
They continued committing offences in Hyderabad and Cyberabad Police Commissionerate limits even after they were released from custody, the senior officer said.
However, the kingpin of this gang, Ashappa alias Ashok, who was involved in many offences and mastermind behind the entire gang, remains absconding.
Ashappa has close connections with Mumbai Underworld and also maintained close liaison with surrendered naxals as well, the Cyberabad police chief said, adding Ashappa has had many dealings in crude weapons trade in Mumbai and Bihar.