Maoist leader caught in Varanasi railway station

Lucknow, Dec 15 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested a senior member of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit, who had been absconding for nearly 13 years and was wanted in several serious cases, including for murder and Naxal violence, police said on Monday.

Sitaram alias Vinay Ji was apprehended from the Kashi railway station in Varanasi following sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance, they said.

According to the ATS, Sitaram had been on the run for over a decade, frequently changing his identity and appearance -- he also went by Om Prakash and Dhanu -- and moving across states to evade arrest.

A murder case was lodged against him for the alleged killing of a village head in 2012.

Police said Sitaram left his home in 1986 and allegedly joined the Maoist movement, later becoming a zonal secretary of the organisation's central committee in 1990. He was allegedly also present at the meeting held on September 21, 2004, following the merger of the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and the People's War Group (PWG), which led to the formation of the CPI (Maoist).

Investigators said he was allegedly entrusted with expanding the organisation's activities through mass mobilisation and regularly held meetings attended by overground workers operating in urban areas on behalf of the banned outfit.

The ATS said Sitaram allegedly played a key role in the 2012 killing of Phoolmati, the wife of a village head in Aterdariya village in Ballia district. He was from another village, Mudiari, in the district.

Police said the village head was suspected by the Maoists of being a police informer and was also targeted, but managed to escape. A case was registered in this connection under various sections of the IPC and the Arms Act, following which a reward of Rs 50,000 was declared on him.

Police further said that on August 15, 2023, Sitaram was holding a meeting with several key associates when the ATS arrested all of them along with Maoist literature and weapons.

Sitaram, however, managed to flee at that time. A separate case under provisions of the IPC, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act was registered at the ATS police station in Lucknow, and the probe in that case is currently being conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Apart from cases registered in Uttar Pradesh, Sitaram is also wanted in multiple cases in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, Banka and Sitamarhi districts, including those related to bank robbery, murder, assault and illegal possession of arms, police said.

Police said further questioning of Sitaram is underway and operations will continue against other members of the banned organisation identified during the interrogation. PTI ABN KIS SKY SKY