Court issues production warrant against Kobad Ghandy

A local court today issued a production warrant against top Maoist leader Kobad Ghandy who is in custody of Andhra Pradesh Police in connection with a case registered against him in Karimnagar district in 2008.

Chief Metropolitan magistrate Kaveri Baweja sought presence of Ghandy, a central committee member of the proscribed CPI (Maoist), before the court on December 11.
   
Ghandy, 63, was handed over to the Andhra Pradesh police on November 18 as he was facing charges there under the Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case.

Ghandy, an ideologue and think-tank of the banned outfit, has been booked for various charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after his arrest here on September 20.

Delhi police, which had on October 31 secured a green signal from a lower court to conduct narco-analysis test on Ghandy, suffered a setback after the Delhi High Court stayed it on his plea that constitutional validity of the invasive test has been challenged before the Supreme Court.

His release, along with that of two other leaders, was reportedly demanded by Maoists for the safe return of abducted Jharkhand police Inspector Francis Induwar, who was later beheaded near Ranchi.

An alumni of the prestigious Doon School, Ghandy was in the top echelons of erstwhile CPI-ML (People's War Group) from 1981 and continued as Central Committee member in CPI (Maoist). He was elected to its Politburo in 2007.