Kolkata, May 12 (IANS) Senior Maoist leader Sraddha Biswas alias Bela of Jharkhand was arrested in Kolkata, police said on Tuesday.​

Kolkata Police arrested her from the Cossipore area in north Kolkata.​

Bela, a resident of Chakdaha in Nadia district, is a member of the Maoist regional committee in Jharkhand.​

She was active in Jharkhand for a long time.​

Besides, a Maoist named Madhai Patra, a resident of Hooghly district, has also surrendered to the police.​

He was also active in Jharkhand.​ On Tuesday afternoon, a press conference was held at Alipore Bodyguard Lines.​

Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand said that more information could be obtained by interrogating the arrested Maoist leader.​

Jharkhand Police will also come to Kolkata to interrogate Bela.​ He said the senior Maoist leader’s physical condition was also not very good.​

Bela has been active in Jharkhand since 2005.​ There are more than 20 cases against her in that state.​ A reward of Rs 15 lakh had been declared for her in Jharkhand.​

She was mainly active in the Ghatshila, East Singhbhum, and West Singhbhum areas.​

The Police Commissioner said that in 2004-05, Bela’s name was linked to a case in Belpahari, West Midnapore district, West Bengal.​

She was also arrested in that case.​ But after getting bail, she did not return to the state.​

According to the police, Bela later came to Kolkata for some reason.​

After receiving information from a secret source, the police arrested her.​ It is still not clear why she came to Kolkata.​ The police also did not comment on this.​

The Police Commissioner said that information would be collected through questioning about how long ago she arrived in Kolkata.​

Along with this, Madhai Patra, a resident of Jangipara in Hooghly district, also surrendered to the police on Tuesday.​

He was also involved in Maoist activities for a long time.​ Madhai was first arrested in 2007.​ After getting bail, he went to Jharkhand and remained active there.​

The Police Commissioner said: “After many days of Maoist activities, he (Madhai) now wants to surrender and lead a normal life. He wants to return to the mainstream. He will be helped as per the surrender and rehabilitation scheme that we have.”​

Surrendered Maoist Madhai was also present at the press conference.​

He said: “When I first joined the party, the party’s norms were all good. But later, the party’s norms changed. Society has changed. Considering all that, I have thought of returning to the mainstream of society.”

​Madhai also called on those who are still involved in the Maoist organisation to surrender and return to mainstream society.​

–IANS

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