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Two suspected female naxal cadres, including wife of the Maharashtra Communist Party of India-Maoist committee secretary, were arrested from two cities of Thane and Pune under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad said on Wednesday.
Angela Sontakke, an alleged member and wife of Milind Teltumbde, secretary of Maharashra's CPI-Maoist committee, was nabbed with Rs 1.54 lakh in her possession from Talaopadi area in Thane on Monday, the ATS officials said.
Later, her aide Sushma Ramteke was held from Pune on charges of being instrumental in setting up a naxal base as part of the 'Golden Corridor Committee', said Rakesh Maria, Maharashtra ATS chief.
Sontakke was also working as a secretary for the 'Golden Corridor Committee' formed in February 2008 in order to spread naxal ideology in Surat, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Thane and Pune among students and labourers, he said.
The duo was remanded in police custody until May 3, Maria said. During the search conducted at Ramteke's rented house n Pune, literature on naxalism, laptops, CDs, audio and video tapes, press notes and cash of Rs 3 lakh were found, the ATS chief said.
During the interrogation it was learnt that Sontakke, who has been staying Pune since 2008, has at least 20 offences registered against her, including UAPA cases registered by the Maharashtra ATS and Godia police.
Sontakke was also active participant in Feb 2009 naxal attack in which fifteen policemen including a young police sub-inspector were killed in cross firing in Gadchiroli district.
Sontakke, who has been involved into Naxalite movement in the state since 1996, was assigned with the responsibility of financial management and funding for the outlaws, ATS said.
Her role was to procure electronic and other equipments for the Red cadres and would locate safe havens for hiding in the urban areas. She sometimes used to stockpile weapons, Maria said adding Sontakke had once worked as a teacher.
Whereas Ramteke was, at the time of arrest, working as a marketing agent in a company in Pune under fake alias of Shraddha Gurav, he said adding that a fake PAN card and a mobile handset was seized from her.
With additional reportage from PTI