A Maoist leader who embraced Maoism way back in 1967 has been finally arrested in Assam, police said Thursday.
Anukul Chandra Naskar, 65, a politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Maoist, was taken into custody from Barak Valley Wednesday.
Senior Superintendent of Police A.P. Tiwari said Naskar, popularly known as Pareshda, hailed from Balia in West Bengal's 24 South Pargana district.
He joined the group in 1967, the year a peasant revolt in West Bengal's Naxalbari village ignited what came to be known as the Naxalite movement.
In 1985, Naskar was made a Central Committee member of the party and joined the politburo in 2004, said Tiwari.
Naskar was the party manager for five states in eastern India including Assam, he said.
On April 26, Assam Police nabbed two top Maoists from near Guwahati and recovered arms, ammunition and documents from them.
The two, Aklanta Rabha and Siraj Rabha, spoke about five top leaders operating in the region.
"The arrest of Naskar was based on their confession," said a senior police officer.
