Jharkhand: The Maoist who escaped was a scientist

The identity of the suspected Maoist leader, who made an unsuccessful bid for a dramatic escape during transit by raising a false alarm, has been ascertained as Ravi Sharma, a scientist working with an agriculture university in Patna with alleged Naxal links, the Hazaribagh police said on Tuesday.

Sharma, who was earlier arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police from Patna on October 10, had escaped along with his associate during transit on the same day, they said.

In his forties, Sharma was working as a scientist in a reputed Agriculture University in Patna and a member of the Central Committee of the CPI (Maoist), according to police.

Interrogation of Sharma led to the arrest of a woman, who was identified as Aradhana, heading the Maoists' wing of Nari Mukti Sangh, they claimed.

During a high drama on the highway on October 10, Sharma escaped when the vehicle transporting him was stopped by activists of JVM-P in Hazaribagh during a bandh.

Sharma was freed by the bandh supporters after he raised an alarm shouting that he had been abducted by kidnappers who were actually Andhra policemen in plain clothes.

Later, the Andhra police personnel went to the local police station and revealed their identities, leading to massive search operation and re-arrest of Sharma, police said.

The Andhra police were taking Sharma to their state on transit remand in connection with his alleged involvement in Naxal-related violence in Andhra, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand.