Task Force sleuths, on Tuesday, produced 3 persons before media, accusing them of attempting to extort money from the management of a seed company by posing as Naxalites.
According to Task Force officials, Velupula Srinivas (36), Srikonda Raju (30) and Illandula Tirupathi (33) were working as masons.
The officials revealed that the prime accused Srinivas got the brainwave of extorting money from members of the business community after watching a television program. He took the help of his close friends, the other 2 accused, to hatch a plan.
According to the plan, Srinivas managed to obtain the phone number of Kaveri Seeds plant manager A Srinivas through one of the employees.
In the first week of September, Srinivas called his namesake and introduced himself as a member of a banned Naxalite organization. He demanded Rs. 15 lakhs from the seed plant owners and threatened them that if the the money was not paid, the employees of the company would not be spared.
The 'Naxalites' also called the head office number of the seed company and tried to extort money from the management.
The company officials filed a complaint at the Mahankali police station, Hyderabad.
The trio were apprehended on Tuesday after tracing the origins of their calls.