CHENNAI: Underlining the fear that Tamil Nadu could be a safe haven for Maoists fleeing police and security forces in other parts of the country, five notorious extremists, including Roopesh (40), head of Western Ghats zonal committee of CPI (Maoist), were arrested on Monday in Karumathampatti on Coimbatore-Avinashi Road.
A team of Andhra Pradesh’s State Intelligence Bureau, headed by sub-inspector Hanumanth Rao, has been camping in the region for the last one week following a tip that Roopesh and his associates were hiding in a house in Karumathampatti. After confirming their identity, around 5.30pm on Monday the team, along with personnel from the Tamil Nadu Q Branch and local police, rounded up Roopesh alias Praveen alias Jogi, his wife P A Shyna and their associates Anoop, Kannan and Easwaran while they were doing some purchase at a bakery.
Roopesh, Shyna and Anoop are wanted in several cases in Kerala. Against Roopesh there are more than 30 cases pending, including for attacks on Thirunelli KTDC resort, New Bharath Crushers in Malappuram, a forest range office in Mukkali in Palakkad district and a forest office in Vellamunda in Wayanad district. He heads a 50-plus strong team of Maoists in the Western Ghats and carries an AK-47 wherever he goes.
He was earlier part of People’s War Group and later joined CPI (Maoist). At present, he is a member of south Indian regional committee of Maoists, which has a sizeable presence along Kerala-Tamil Nadu-Karnataka borders. Kannan and Easwaran are wanted in Tamil Nadu for several cases including some in Chennai.
Sources said Tamil Nadu police were not aware of the operation till the AP team sought their assistance at the last moment. All the five have been taken to an undisclosed location for questioning, said a source.
Roopesh is a law graduate and his wife a former employee of the Kerala high court. They first came under surveillance when they gave shelter to CPI (Maoist) politburo member Malla Raji Reddy and his wife, who were arrested from Angamaly in Kerala in December 2007. Shyna subsequently wrote a letter to Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy seeking legal proceedings against police officials who allegedly harassed her family members at Valappad in Thrissur district. Her minor daughters and 71-year-old mother were harassed by police, she charged in her letter.
