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| India Maoist official in custody | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A court in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta has remanded a leading Maoist "spokesman" in custody after he walked out of a talk show on a TV channel. | |
| Officials said Gour Chakrabarty was initially detained for interrogation but has now been remanded on suspicion of involvement in Maoist activity. | |
| In his interview on a local TV station, Mr Chakrabarty defended Maoist violence in the Lalgarh area of West Bengal. | In his interview on a local TV station, Mr Chakrabarty defended Maoist violence in the Lalgarh area of West Bengal. |
| The arrest comes days after forces launched an offensive in the area. | The arrest comes days after forces launched an offensive in the area. |
| On a Tuesday evening talk show on a Bengali TV channel, Mr Chakrabarty said the Maoists were the only revolutionary group in India "capable of achieving radical social change". | On a Tuesday evening talk show on a Bengali TV channel, Mr Chakrabarty said the Maoists were the only revolutionary group in India "capable of achieving radical social change". |
| He said the Indian federal government was a "stooge of US imperialism" and the Communist government in Bengal "not very different". | He said the Indian federal government was a "stooge of US imperialism" and the Communist government in Bengal "not very different". |
| As Mr Chakrabarty walked out of the TV station, waiting policemen detained him and took him away in a jeep. | As Mr Chakrabarty walked out of the TV station, waiting policemen detained him and took him away in a jeep. |
| Mr Chakrabarty is a member of the Communist party of India (Maoist), which has been recently banned by the government. | Mr Chakrabarty is a member of the Communist party of India (Maoist), which has been recently banned by the government. |
| He had been to many TV shows after the offensive on Lalgarh started, defending the Maoist position in public. | He had been to many TV shows after the offensive on Lalgarh started, defending the Maoist position in public. |
| 'Close relations' | 'Close relations' |
| Calcutta police commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarty said that Gour Chakrabarty is being held under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). | Calcutta police commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarty said that Gour Chakrabarty is being held under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). |
| The Maoists were banned on Monday by the Indian central government under the terms of the UAPA for "maintaining close relations with a banned organisation." | The Maoists were banned on Monday by the Indian central government under the terms of the UAPA for "maintaining close relations with a banned organisation." |
| Artists tried to broker peace between rebels and the government | Artists tried to broker peace between rebels and the government |
| West Bengal police have also charged three top Bengali artists - filmmaker Aparna Sen, theatre personalities Saonli Mitra and Kaushik Sen - with violating the Indian Penal Code by visiting the Lalgarh region of West Bengal state, where Maoist rebels are fighting paramilitary troops. | West Bengal police have also charged three top Bengali artists - filmmaker Aparna Sen, theatre personalities Saonli Mitra and Kaushik Sen - with violating the Indian Penal Code by visiting the Lalgarh region of West Bengal state, where Maoist rebels are fighting paramilitary troops. |
| Saonli Mitra told the BBC that she was shocked at being charged. | Saonli Mitra told the BBC that she was shocked at being charged. |
| "We went to Lalgarh in full knowledge of the state administration... The government is framing us," she said. | "We went to Lalgarh in full knowledge of the state administration... The government is framing us," she said. |
| The trio had visited the enclave of Lalgarh "to gauge the situation there" and offered to mediate between the Maoists and the state government. | The trio had visited the enclave of Lalgarh "to gauge the situation there" and offered to mediate between the Maoists and the state government. |
| Security forces say that they have now taken control of Lalgarh and the vast jungle region around it, but armed Maoist squads are still reported to be in the area. | Security forces say that they have now taken control of Lalgarh and the vast jungle region around it, but armed Maoist squads are still reported to be in the area. |
| Maoist-linked violence has killed 6,000 people in India over two decades. | Maoist-linked violence has killed 6,000 people in India over two decades. |