Maoist leader Roopesh, arrested two years ago in Coimbatore and presently lodged in a Kerala prison, was produced before a Madurai court on Friday in a case pending against him here.
Police said that when Roopesh was arrested in May 2015, a few SIM cards seized from him were found to be bought using fake identity proofs with Madurai addresses. A case was consequently registered against him at the Tallakulam police station here.
According to the police, the case was later transferred to the ‘Q’ Branch CID of the Tamil Nadu police, who are investigating Maoist-related cases, including some against Roopesh and his accomplices.
The case related to the purchase of SIM cards with fake identity proofs is being heard at the Fourth Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai and the chargesheet has already been filed by the ‘Q’ Branch CID police.
Police sources said that Roopesh was produced before the Fourth Additional District and Sessions Judge C. Sanjai Baba as the case came up for hearing on Friday. The judge extended his judicial custody in the case till January 4.
Roopesh, who is presently lodged in the Central Prison in Viyyur in Thrissur, was brought to the court by a team of Kerala police. While being moved out of the court, he raised slogans asking the public to boycott the by-election in R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency and hailing Maoists as patriots.
He was arrested along with his wife Shyna and three other men, all belonging to the Western Ghats Special Zonal Committee of the Maoist movement, by the ‘Q’ Branch CID police from a bakery in Coimbatore.
The arrest was seen as a severe blow to Maoist activities along the tri-junction area of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Prior to the arrest, he was regarded as one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in the country and had tens of cases against him in Kerala.
