Chhattisgarh: Tribal activist involved in naxal cases arrested

raipur: Tribal activist Suneeta Pottam was arrested by Bijapur Police on Monday, accused of involvement in 12 Naxal-related cases, including murder, attempted murder, and offences under The Arms Act, 1959. Among these allegations are charges of planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs), arson, and hate speech. Confirming Pottam’s arrest, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav claimed she was involved in conspiring and planning these offences and is part of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Pottam, who had been hiding in Raipur under an assumed name, was apprehended and taken to Bijapur. Superintendent Yadav stated that there are 12 court warrants against her and described her as an important part of the CPI (Maoist) city network. According to police sources, Pottam is associated with the Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangh, a women’s wing affiliated with the banned CPI (Maoists). However, she purportedly presents herself as part of the tribal rights group, Moolvasi Bachao Manch.

Civil rights advocacy group People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) criticized Pottam’s arrest, denouncing it as illegal. PUCL stated that Pottam, a 25-year-old tribal activist and member of the advocacy group, had consistently raised her voice against state oppression. They alleged that Pottam was forcibly taken from her residence in an unregistered vehicle by the Deputy Superintendent of Police. PUCL emphasized Pottam’s role as a human rights defender, highlighting her efforts against police atrocities, particularly towards women, in Bijapur. In 2016, she had petitioned the Chhattisgarh High Court against alleged extrajudicial killings in several villages of Bijapur district. Additionally, Pottam had been involved in protests against the widening of village roads, which violated The Provisions of the Panchayats Act – 1996.