The Birbhum Police on Saturday arrested dreaded Maoist Babul Sutradhar (48), who had been absconding for the last 12 years, from Mayureswar village in the district. Babul Sutradhar’s name figured in the most-wanted list of both the Birbhum as well as the Murshidabad police. Several cases have been lodged against Sutradhar in both districts.

Acting on a tip-off, SubDivisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Rampurhat Dhima Mitra zeroed in on Sutradhar’s house in Mayureswar village with a posse of policemen on Saturday and arrested him. Several cases are pending against Sutradhar in the Naoda Police Station of the Murshidabad district as well in connection with antinational activities.

Sutradhar was quite active during the erstwhile Left Front regime and attained notoriety in the two adjacent districts of Birbhum and Murshidabad. He used to stay in the bordering area of the two districts. Police had received a tip-off that he was staying at a relative’s house in his village after which he was arrested. SDPO Dhiman Mitra said that the police also seized Sutradhar’s gun during the search operation conducted in the house.

He was forwarded to the Rampurhat Court on Sunday where the police sought his custody for 14 days. The police said that notices regarding Sutradhar would also be sent to other police stations where cases are registered against him. In the past, Sutradhar was arrested several times by the police of both the districts but he managed to secure bail. Police sources said that Sutradhar became an active member of the armed squad of the Maoists after his sister was physically tortured.

Birbhum SP Raj Narayan Mukherjee said that a Maoist action squad leader has been arrested by the Rampurhat Police and very soon notices will be served to other police stations as well so that they can show him arrested in their cases too. In March 2008, Sutradhar was nabbed by three villagers in Tehatta of Murshidabad after receiving bullet injuries.

The three villagers were members of the Gram Rakshi Bahini. Though they managed to catch Sutradhar, his accomplices made good their escape. Subsequently, he was arrested by the then SP of Murshidabad, Basab Dasgupta, and admitted to the Berhampore New General Hospital