Ex-Jharkhand minister held for Maoist links

Former Jharkhand minister and Congress legislator Yogendra Sao has been arrested in New Delhi for alleged links with Maoist guerrillas, police said Sunday.

"Sao was arrested by a CID team with the help of Delhi Police from a house in Subhash Nagar on Saturday night. He will be brought to Ranchi on transit remand," police spokesman Anurag Gupta told reporters in Delhi.

Gupta said a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team was camping in New Delhi.

A Hazaribagh court last month issued an arrest warrant against Sao over his alleged links with the rebels.

Sao, 50, resigned from the cabinet over the issue last month.

He allegedly raised two criminal organisations -- Jharkhand Tiger, a group linked to the Maoists, and Jharkhand Bachao Andolan.

A police official said that till now, 11 members of these organisations have been arrested for their involvement in several heinous cases in Jharkhand.

Police last month arrested five members of Jharkhand Tiger group in Hazaribagh. Police sources said those nabbed have admitted that the groups were raised with Sao's support.

They also revealed that Sao was providing arms, ammunition and vehicles for committing murders besides carrying out extortions and kidnappings for ransom.

Sao is involved in 13 cases of murder, attempt to murder, rioting, criminal intimidation and extortion in the state.

"The Jharkhand Police had informed us that Yogendra Sao was hiding in Delhi to evade the police dragnet. A joint operation was launched with Jharkhand Police and Sao was apprehended Saturday evening," said Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Ashok Chand.

"He has been taken on transit remand by the Jharkhand Police," he added.