Raipur. The police of Chhattisgarh’s Naxal-affected Bijapur district claimed to have arrested a woman wanted in 12 cases related to Naxal incidents including murder, from the capital Raipur on Monday. The Chhattisgarh unit of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has said that the woman arrested by the police is a tribal activist, who has been raising her voice against police atrocities in Bijapur district.
On Monday, police officials said that Sunita Potam (25), wanted in 12 cases, was arrested by the police from Raipur.
He informed that 12 permanent warrants are pending against Potam in various police stations of Bijapur district for murder, attempt to murder, arson, robbery, provocative speech, inciting the public and causing damage to government property. Police officials said that Potam was an important link in the urban network of Maoists and she was living in Raipur hiding her identity.
He said that seven permanent warrants are pending against Potam in Gangaluur police station of Bijapur, four in Mirtur and one in Bijapur.
Based on a tip-off about his whereabouts in Raipur, the Bijapur police arrested him and took him to Bijapur, officials said. He was produced before a local court, from where he was sent to jail in judicial custody. In a statement, PUCL Chhattisgarh condemned Potam’s arrest and demanded his release.
PUCL has said that tribal activist and human rights defender Potam is an active member of PUCL Chhattisgarh and Rashtriya Mahila Sangathan. PUCL said that Potam had gone to Raipur to complete her 10th standard from Open School. The organization said in its statement that this arrest has been made in violation of the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court. As a human rights defender, Sunita Potam has been raising her voice against the atrocities committed by the police in Bijapur. PUCL said that in 2016, Sunita had filed a petition before the Chhattisgarh High Court against the killings of six persons in the villages of Bijapur district. Apart from this, she has been leading protests at the local level.