Suspected Maoist arrested in Delhi

A 27-year-old suspected Maoist, wanted in several cases of murder and attack on police teams, was arrested in Delhi.

Shiv Kumar alias Shiva, a cadre of the Communist Party of India – Maoist, who hails from Jharkhand's Ranchi and is an expert in handling landmines and sophisticated arms, was apprehended by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch from Rohini on Wednesday.

This is the second arrest of a Maoist hailing from Jharkhand in the capital in the past one month.

Pradeep Kumar, a 42-year-old Maoist who was wanted in the murder of a senior police officer 12 years ago and had participated in an agitation for separate statehood for
Jharkhand, was arrested in the capital on May 10.

"Shiva is an expert in land mines, explosives and IED and weapon handling. He is an ace guerrilla fighter and a close associate of the local area commander in Jharkhand. He has been deeply indoctrinated on left-wing ideology in the Saryu Jungles of Jharkhand and heads the local guerrilla squad," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjay Kumar Jain said.

A senior police official said Shiva is well-versed in the theories of Karl Marx, Lenin and Mao, and is also believed to have taken part in around 200 Maoist offensives against police and security forces in Jharkhand's Lohardaga and Latehar districts.

Shiva, a close associate of Ravinder -- the area commander of Narkopi region near Ranchi -- told the police he joined the CPI - Maoist in 2008.