RAIPUR: Human rights activist Suneeta Potam was arrested on Monday in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, in connection with several cases related to Maoist activities, including murder, police reported.
Bastar range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sunderaj P provided details, stating that Potam is a significant figure in the Maoists’ urban network and frontal organization.
“The 25-year-old was apprehended by Bijapur police in Raipur, where she was living under a false identity. Originally from Korcholi village in the Gangaloor police station area of Bijapur, she is a key operative in the Maoists’ urban network,” Sunderaj explained.
He added, “There are at least 12 warrants pending against Potam in three different Bijapur police stations for crimes including murder, attempted murder, robbery, incendiary speeches, and damaging government property.”
Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Yadav clarified that out of the 12 warrants, seven were filed at Gangaloor police station, four at Mirtur police station, and one at Bijapur police station.
“She has been remanded in judicial custody by a local court,” the IGP said.
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) condemned the arrest, asserting it was due to her activism against police misconduct.
In a statement, the Chhattisgarh unit of PUCL described Potam as an “adivasi activist and human rights defender,” and an active member of PUCL Chhattisgarh and the national women’s organization Women against Sexual Violence and State Repression (WSS) since 2015.
The PUCL claimed that as a human rights defender, Potam has been a persistent critic of Bijapur police, particularly in highlighting atrocities against women. “She has been at the forefront of local protests against road expansion projects that cut through several villages, destroying hundreds of fruit-bearing trees without any gram sabha consultations, in clear violation of the PESA Act,” they stated.
The PUCL is demanding an independent investigation and alleges that the cases against her are fabricated.