7 Maoist Fact-Finding Team Members Arrested

A seven-member fact-finding team supposedly affiliated to a human rights wing of the Telangana Democratic Front (TDF) have been arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police on Monday.

As per reports, the team was travelling to Chhattisgarh to discuss complaints of human rights violations on adivasis in a region in the State. The police have identified the seven persons as advocates Balla Ravindranath and Chikkudu Prabhakar, journalist Durga Prasad, AP Kula Nirmulana Porata Samiti President D Prabhakar, and three research scholars from the Osmania University Rajendra Prasad, Nazeer and R Lakshman.

Following the arrest, several activists in Telangana condemned the incident strongly and called it an unreasonable and malicious move.

Activists of civil liberties commission (PUCL) along with those of the TDF alleged that the team of lawyers, journalists and human rights activists were first arrested by the Telangana Police and later handed over to their counterparts in Chhattisgarh.

"After holding them under arrest till about 6 pm on December 25, the Telangana Police whisked away the seven persons across the border and extradited them to the Chhattisgarh Police at Kunta PS on the same day. The seven persons were also produced before a Court in Sukma and taken into custody," said the PUCL.

Activists expressed their shock at the "blatant abuse of Law" by the Telangana and Chhattisgarh police departments. They added that such acts of "high-handedness" was only possible at authorization of the two States.

However the police claimed that the activists are from Dharmapeta village in the Sukma district, and belonged to intellectual wings of Maoists outfits.

"The seven persons have been accused under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act and produced in the court. Banned literature and books, and Rs. 1 lakh in cash has been seized from them. We are opposing their bail application," the Sukma police said.

The Public Security Act has been heavily criticized in the past for being "draconian", with activists alleging that it authorised cops to detain a person who showed "a tendency to pose an obstacle to law".