The Special Cell arrested a top Maoist leader from Bhikaji Cama Place in South Delhi late on Sunday evening based on specific inputs from intelligence agencies and the Jharkhand Police. Gandhi was produced before the duty magistrate in the Tis Hazari court complex on Monday morning and was sent to judicial custody. Official sources said the accused Kobad Gandhi was staying in the city for the last three years and had made a sizeable network of contacts. Sources said Gandhi is the think tank of the CPI (Maoist) recently banned by the Centre and also a member of the party polit bureau,the top decision-making body,and the Central Committee. He (Gandhi) has been attached with the CPI (Maoist) for many years and is in charge of spreading the organisations influence in urban areas. He was staying alone in Delhi but has sympathisers here,whom we are looking for. His visits,phone details and accounts are being checked, a police source said. Gandhi was also reportedly in charge of the Sub-Committee on Mass Organisation (SUCOMO). Gandhi was looking after the publication wing of the party. Jamshedpur police officials have been informed and they may arrive in a few days to take him into custody. We are trying to ascertain if he (Gandhi) had links with any Maoist arrested in Delhi earlier, a police official added. Officials said Gandhi was involved in party activities in Mumbai,Vidarbha and other parts of Maharashtra,Andhra Pradesh,Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. His wife,Anuradha Gandhi,a founder member of the CPI-ML and Vidyarthi Pragatisheel Sanghatana (VPS) in Maharashtra,had gone underground some years ago for fear of police action. The Maharashtra Police had named her in several Naxal-related criminal cases. She died earlier this year. The couple worked with tribals and beedi workers in Chandrapur district before moving to tribal areas of north Maharashtra.
