Alleged captors in London slave case were 'Maoist activists' in 1970s
Couple accused of holding three women were arrested in 1970s in move against Maoist centre
A couple who allegedly held three women as "slaves" in a London house for 30 years were prominent Maoist activists in the 1970s, according to media reports yesterday.
The couple, named by British newspapers as Indian-born Aravindan Balakrishnan and his Tanzanian wife Chanda, were arrested on Thursday after their three alleged captives were freed in a police operation.
One of the victims, aged 30, is believed to have spent her entire life in servitude.
A Marxist history website said Balakrishnan, 73, was a high-ranking member of the Communist Party of England (Marxist-Leninist) but had been suspended in 1974 because of the "conspiratorial and splittist activities" of his "clique".
The website also said Balakrishnan, dubbed "Comrade Bala", had been arrested in 1978 along with his wife during an attempt by police to shut down a Maoist centre in south London's Brixton area.
Police have confirmed the couple were arrested in the 1970s, but have not said why. Detectives have refused to confirm the identities of the couple, who have been bailed until January pending further investigations.