Suspected Maoist operative arrested from south Delhi

A 35-year-old woman of tribal origin, hailing from Chhatisgarh's Dantewada, an alleged operative of the local ‘Naxalite’ network, was arrested from a south Delhi neighbourhood on Tuesday morning, the police said.

A 35-year-old woman of tribal origin, hailing from Chhatisgarh's Dantewada, an alleged operative of the local ‘Naxalite’ network, was arrested from a south Delhi neighbourhood on Tuesday morning, the police said.

HT Image

Acting on an intelligence input by Superintendent of Police, Dantewada, crime branch officials zeroed upon Soni Sori, a resident of Dantewada's Kuakonda village.

“We were sent a photograph of Sori and informed that she was wanted in more than five cases ranging from extortion to the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). She was arrested from near the Mother Dairy in south Delhi's Katwaria Sarai while she was waiting for someone around 11 am,” said a senior crime branch officer requesting anonymity.

Though DCP (crime) Ashok Chand confirmed the arrest, he chose to remain tight-lipped about the case, while additional DCP Sanjay Bhatia, who led the team, stated that Sori was suspected to be involved in five cases of extortion.

Sources, however, claimed that Sori had been charge-sheeted under Sections 121 and 124 A, IPC - waging a war against the state and sedition, as recently as September 9 at the Kuakonda Police Station.

“While initial intelligence inputs from Superintendent of Police Dantewada, Ankit Garg, stated that she was wanted in a case of extortion, we were later told that the UAPA had also been slapped on her,” an officer said. According to the police, Sori at present, has four pending warrants — mainly of extortion, pending against her and is understood to have accepted extortion money from telecommunications major Essar's local management representative on September 28.

Sori was produced at the Saket District Courts on Tuesday and sent in one-day judicial custody. She will be produced in the court on Thursday before finally being handed over to the Chhatisgarh Police.