Former TDP minister Ayyanna Patrudu claimed he received a death threat message on his mobile phone.

Ayyanna Patrudu stated that he received a message that a deep conspiracy was being hatched to kill him. Talking to mediapersons, the TDP leader said he has received a message that he would be killed and attempts would be made to project it as the handiwork of Maoists.

The man who sent the message was identified as one Viyyapu Thatha Rao. The senior TDP leader lodged a complaint with the DGP following which the police arrested him. According to the preliminary investigations, police found that Thatha Rao had sent several such messages to political leaders in the past.

It may be recalled that Naxalites had killed Ayyanna Patrudu’s brother, Ch Srinivas Patrudu, in the late 90s and a bid was made on Ayyanna’s life at his Visakhapatnam residence in 2001.

Ayyanna Patrudu himself had received several threat letters from the Maosits in the past. When he was Panchayat Raj Minister, the senior TDP was warned by Maoists to withdraw the permission for bauxite mining in the Narsipatnam division of the area and resign from his post.