Revolutionary writer-poet and former Maoist emissary Varavara Rao has been remanded to judicial custody till August 29.

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The Hyderabad police, who had arrested Varavara Rao from his residence in the early hours of Friday, produced him before the 8th metropolitan magistrate in the evening.

In the remand note, the police stated that Varavara Rao, a founder-member of Virasam (Viplava Rachiyatala Sangham, or Revolutionary Writers Association), was arrested as the Virasam was banned alongwith the Communist Party of India-Maoist and other frontal organisations.

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The magistrate made inquiries from Varavara Rao about the circumstances of his arrest. Varavara Rao said he belonged to Virasam and the ban imposed on this organisation by the government was not proper as it had nothing to do with the armed revolutionary groups.

Subsequently, the magistrate remanded him to judicial custody till August 29. Meanwhile, Virasam president G Kalyan Rao, who was arrested from the Hyderabad Press Club at Bashirbagh, was taken to the Saifabad police station.

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The police are likely to produce him at the residence of a magistrate on Friday night for judicial remand.