My husband is a revolutionary, not a killer: Arrested maoist Sabyasachi Panda's wife

Bhubaneswar, July 18: Seeking Sabyasachi Panda's immediate production in the court after his arrest last night, the Maoist leader's wife Subhashrees Panda asserted on Friday that her husband was a revolutionary and not a 'killer' as described by the Odisha Police. “

Why are they not producing him in a court?” Subhasree, also known as Mili Panda, said, in her first reaction over the arrest of Sabyasachi. She claimed her husband’s arrest was the first step on the path to his return to the mainstream. “We have been trying to persuade him to join the mainstream for the last two years. I hope his arrest would finally pave the way for his return to mainstream,” she said.

Asked whether Sabyasachi surrendered or police arrested on his own, Subhashree said: "He was certainly arrested. This is because a revolutionary cannot surrender." Rejecting DGP Sanjeev Marik's statement that Panda was booked in the killing of 59 people including 25 security personnel, Subhashree said, "The allegations are false, baseless. My husband is not involved in the killing of any human being. Have they videograped or taken picture?".

The Maoist leader's wife also termed the 61 criminal cases against her husband as "fake". "I have a strong hunch that Sabyasachi would be acquitted in all those cases," she said adding that one can find out from the EC that many of the elected MLAs and minsters have murder cases pending against.

"If they can become honourable MLAs and even ministers, why not my husband?," she asked.

The Maoist leader’s wife also rubbished the police claim of seizure of a pistol, ammunition and half a kg of gold from her husband's possession during his arrest in the Badbazar area of Berhampur town.

To a question, Subhashree said she would certainly meet her husband in jail and "fight for justice".

PTI