Coimbatore: In what is being seen as a major breakthrough for the police of four southern states, a top Maoist leader, wanted in at least 20 cases in Kerala, his wife and three others have been arrested in Tamil Nadu.
Roopesh, a law graduate, and his wife Shyna hail from Kerala and had managed to evade arrest for over 10 years, police said late last night. They were arrested on Monday following a joint operation undertaken by Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu police.
It was a coordinated effort by the Andhra Pradesh Police, the Tamil Nadu Police and Kerala’s anti-Maoist force Thunderbolt, that resulted in the arrest of Roopesh and others, said Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala. “We have been on their trail for weeks,” said Chennithala.
They are likely to be taken to Andhra first for interrogation. Chennithala said they would be brought to Kerala soon.
Roopesh and Shyna have been accused of sheltering a top Maoist leader from Andhra, Malla Raja Reddy, and his wife Suguna in Perumbavoor, Kerala. Following Reddy’s arrest in 2007, Roopesh and Shyna had gone underground.
Shyna, who was a clerk in the Kerala High Court, famously wrote a letter to then chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan, in 2008, saying, “Your power and police have made me a Maoist. The couple is the leaders of the CPI (Maoist) in Kerala. “This is a huge breakthrough. This will weaken the Maoist presence in Kerala,” said Chennithala.
Roopesh is in-charge of the Western Ghats zone of the Communist Part of India (M). Roopesh is believed to be the mastermind behind the recent attacks in Palakkad and Wayanad districts of Kerala and has over 20 cases registered against him under UAPA, Arms Act and Unlawful Assembly.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply