Telangana: Senior woman Maoist leader arrested

The Telangana police Wednesday claimed to have thwarted attempts by the banned CPI(Maoist) to carry out attacks on political leaders ahead of the December 7 Assembly elections in the state with the arrest of a top leader of the proscribed outfit.

P Rupa, alias Sujatha, a divisional committee secretary who was allegedly involved in several offences in various districts of Telangana, was arrested Tuesday during a vehicle checking drive in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, police said.

She is married to her colleague K Sambaiah, alias Gopanna, who is currently a Telangana state committee member and Bhadradri-Kothagudem and East Godavari district secretary, they said.

Sujatha has been underground for the last 18 years and has committed offences like the killing of innocent people, dacoity, and arson, officials said.

During interrogation, she revealed that a meeting of Maoist leaders was held recently in which it was decided to carry out attacks on political leaders involved in campaigning, using "action teams," Bhadradri-Kothagudem district Superintendent of Police Sunil Dutt said.

These teams were sent to different areas of Telangana, he said.

Details of the action teams have been collected and the photos of Maoist leaders put up in all districts of the state, besides announcing rewards to those providing information about them, the SP added.

Noting that adequate security was being provided to the "targeted" leaders, the official said counter-action teams have been formed to thwart any attempt by the outlawed Maoists to create trouble ahead of the elections.

According to an election notification, 13 of the 119 Assembly segments have been identified as sensitive to Left-wing extremism (LWE), where election authorities will hold polling between 7 am and 4 pm.

Telangana goes to polls on December 7 and the results will be declared on December 11.

(With inputs from agencies.)