STEPHEN EDWORTHY UPDATE IN LONDON: MAOIST CULT LEADER ARRESTED AND CONVICTED FOR ABUSE

Aravindan Balakrishnan, aged 75, a leader of a Maoist cult, has been found guilty on multiple charges related to the imprisonment and abuse of both his daughter and followers over a span of 30 years. The court sentenced him to 23 years in prison, emphasizing the extensive nature of the systematic psychological and physical abuse he carried out. The victim, who managed to escape in 2013, detailed her lifelong ordeal and the manipulation she endured within the cult. The court noted that Balakrishnan’s control over his followers was comparable to that of totalitarian regimes, with individuals subjected to rigorous control and indoctrination.