PIO Maoist ‘enslaved daughter, raped others’

A 75-year-old Indian-origin Maoist revolutionary leader in the UK charged with modern day slavery, sexual assault and imprisonment of his own daughter will appear in a court here this week.

Aravindan Balakrish-nan, referred to as “Comrade Bala”, raped female followers and imprisoned his own daughter for 30 years after brainwashing them into believing he was an all- powerful and all-seeing leader, Southwark crown court was told.

Balakrishnan ruled over a dwindling band of women supporters in his south London communist collective using threats and violence as he pursued his goal of overthrowing the “fascist state”, jurors were told.

His daughter — whose mother was another member of the collective — was beaten, bullied and rarely left the house with Balakrishnan using her fear of the outside world to terrify her into submission, the court heard.

“She was hidden from the outside world, except as a tool with which to terrify her into subjugation.”

“Even though she could have left physically, the power that the defendant exercised over her meant that she could never leave,” said Rosina Cottage, counsel for the prosecution, opening the case for the prosecution.