Two held for planting AI generated Maoist threat letters in Toopran

Two 23-year-old men were arrested by the Medak police for allegedly planting threat letters purportedly issued by Maoists at the Toopran Municipal Office and inside the Toopran police station in an attempt to gain publicity on social media.

The accused were identified as Banda Madhu and Chintakindi Sridhar, both residents of Nagulapalli village. Police seized a motorcycle, two mobile phones, a raincoat, a shawl and pens from them, Medak Superintendent of Police D.V. Srinivasa Rao said on Friday.

According to the officer, at around 1.30 a.m. on the intervening night of September 21 and 22, a masked man entered the Toopran police station and left a red cloth containing a letter on the reception desk. Another person waited outside on a motorcycle. A similar letter was placed near the municipal office around the same time.

A case was registered and a special team led by Toopran DSP Narender Goud examined CCTV footage and technical evidence to trace the suspects.

“The investigation pointed to Madhu as the prime accused. He allegedly planned the act to attract publicity and increase followers and views on social media. He had resorted to a similar act earlier in Medaram, but it had failed to generate the publicity he expected,” explained the officer.

According to the SP, Madhu used AI to draft the letter and prepared three copies after making modifications. The letters carried the names along with sickle-and-hammer symbols.

On the night of September 21, Madhu and Sridhar allegedly travelled to Toopran on a motorcycle and first tied a red cloth containing one of the letters near the municipal office. Madhu then allegedly wore a mask and raincoat, entered the police station and placed another letter on a table while recording the act on his mobile phone. He later shared photographs and videos with his close associates, police said. The two were arrested near Nagulapalli Bridge on Thursday.