Ghandy’s ‘admirer’ held, to be brought to Delhi today

Arvind Joshi, a PhD student who allegedly harboured CPI (Maoist) leader Kobad Ghandy in Delhi, will be brought to Delhi on Monday. The Special Cell of Delhi Police will take Joshi into custody on Monday after producing him in court in the Capital.

Arvind Joshi, a PhD student who allegedly harboured CPI (Maoist) leader Kobad Ghandy in Delhi, will be brought to Delhi on Monday.

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The Special Cell of Delhi Police will take Joshi into custody on Monday after producing him in court in the Capital.

Police said on the day of Ghandy’s arrest in Delhi on (September 20, 2009), Joshi —a native of Haldwani in Uttarakhand — fled with Rs. 5 lakh, a laptop, a hard disk and several CDs along with Maoist literature.

He was surviving on that Rs. 5 lakh in Kanpur since last year.

Uttar Pradesh Police said he was also continuing his studies while on the run.

Joshi is accused of providing shelter to Ghandy at his rented accommodation in Molarbund Extension near Badarpur in Southeast Delhi.

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) said some of the literature and the hard disk were found from his possession when he was arrested in Kanpur.

A part of the Rs. 5 lakh was also found.

“He was continuing with his Phd. He was in contact with senior Maoist leaders and waiting for their orders,” said a senior UP police officer on the condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Delhi Police said Joshi might be able to help them nail “sleeper agents” in the Capital.

They added that his interrogation might also reveal if they had any plans to strike at any of the important installations in the Capital.

The police are clueless about the subject in which Joshi was pursuing his doctorate.

His name was not on the rolls of the Delhi University.

UP Police said Joshi was influenced by the work done by Ghandy.

“He told us that he was an immense admirer of Ghandy. The fact that Ghandy comes from a rich prosperous family and is highly educated but opted to be a Maoist impressed him,” said a police official.