Maoist leaders arrested in Patna

Posted by indianvanguard2010 on October 14, 2009

HAZARIBAG: A senior police officer has confirmed that Ravi Sharma, member of the CPI(Maoist) central committee, was arrested from a jungle close to the Hazaribag National Park under Ichak police station on Saturday. He was first arrested by the Andhra police from Patna on a tip-off by some Maoists arrested there.

On the basis of that information, a high-level police team from Andhra Pradesh went to Patna and arrested Sharma and his colleague, whose name is yet to be disclosed. After the arrest, police left Patna for AP with the dreaded Maoist leader by an SUV on October 10.

When the vehicle reached Ichak More on their way to Andhra via Hazaribag, it was not allowed to proceed further as JVM activists had blocked NH-33. Taking advantage of that, Sharma and his colleague raised an alarm, shouting: "Bachao, bachao."

Soon a mob forcibly opened the door of the vehicle. The Ichak police also reached there and freed the two Maoists, who manged to escape taking advantage of the chaos all around. But the Andhra police team, who were travelling with them, soon launched an operation along with the local police to locate Sharma. He was then nabbed from a nearby forest and whisked away to some unknown destination.

Later, a police team was sent to Patna from where they nabbed Aradhana, chief of the Maoist women’s wing, Nari Mukti Sangh (NMS), and brought her back to Hazaribag. After that, both Sharma and Anuradha were taken by the Hazaribag police to an unknown destination for interrogation.

Sharma, incidentally, was working as a top agriculture scientist in Pusa Agriculture University in Bihar and Aradhana, who also did her PhD, played a vital role in organizing the NMS.

According to sources, state director-general of police V D Ram has congratulated the Hazaribag police on their success.