Kobad Gandhy claims he was illegally detained for four days

Kobad Gandhy, a Polit Bureau member of the banned CPI (Maoist), today alleged that he was kept in illegal detention for four days in the national capital before police recorded his arrest on September 21.

However, police denied the allegation and said they arrested him on September 21 night from Bhikaji Cama Place acting on intelligence inputs. "I was detained on September 17 but the arrest was recorded on September 21 only," Gandhy told PTI at GB Pant Hospital where he was brought by police for a medical check-up.

Gandhy, who is in charge of spreading the organisation's influence in urban areas, has been found suffering from prostrate cancer and cardiac problems. He is presently lodged in Tihar jail. He said he was in the party for a long time and was helping the CPI (Maoist) in bringing out the publications.

Gandhy was brought to the hospital at around 10:15 am for a check up by specialists in oncology and cardiac departments. The Maoists had claimed that a "weak element" in their party, who was acting as his courier, gave information to police about Gandhy's movements.

They also claimed that Gandhy, whom they claim is a "role model for new generation", had "just returned from a trip to the guerrilla zone". The "courier" led the Andhra Pradesh Police and intelligence wing in Delhi to the rendezvous spot of Gandhy in Bhikaji Cama Place, CPI (Maoist) spokesperson Azad claimed in a statement.

The Maoists are of the view that the arrest of Gandhy, who played a "crucial role" in bringing out party publications in English, was a "great loss" to the party.

An alumni of the prestigious Doon School, Gandhy was in the top echelons of the erstwhile CPI (ML-PW) from 1981 and continued as Central Committee member in CPI (Maoist). He was elected to the CPI (Maoist) Politburo in 2007.

Police are also on the trail of some more Maoist leaders as well as three to four sympathisers who arranged accommodation or met Gandhy during his stay here.

Gandhy was frequenting the city for the past three years and had one or two safe hideouts here, they claimed. A student hailing from Uttarakhand and residing in Badarpur in a rented accommodation is also reportedly on the police radar.

Police had recovered a laptop and a pen drive from Gandhy's possession. However, sources said the laptop was not of use as its hard drive was removed.