Lambeth slavery case: Suspect couple belonged to former Maoist political group

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Lambeth elderly couple alleged in the South London slavery case were found to be leaders of a Maoist political group in south London described as a “cult” which went underground during 1980s.

According to the reports, the accused couple named as Indian-born Aravindan Balakrishnan and his Tanzanian wife Chanda. They were arrested on Thursday following the allegations of forcibly keeping three women in their residence against their will for three decades.

Aravindan Balakrishnan, named to be “Comrade Bala” – came to U.K. in the 1960s from Malaysia and established himself as the leader of the Workers’ Institute Marxism Leninism Zedong Thought after being expelled from the Communist Party of England (Marxist-Leninist).

He used to run a commune called the Mao Zedong Memorial Centre in Brixton.

“Maoist” thinking originates from the ideology led by Chinese political leader Mao Zedong and considered to be a revised form of Marxism and Leninism. Supporters of the ideology believe in the idea of continuous revolution and that collectives of “peasants” will lead the overthrow of the state.

The group in Brixton comprised of Maoist students belonging mainly to Malaysia and Singapore with the primary focus of hiring females but with a man still in charge.

Balakrishnan’s wife, Chanda, is mentioned in an account of a battle with the police as the centre in Brixton was closed in March 1978.

A transcript, first published in November 1978, begins: “Beloved Chairman Mao will live forever! Death to the two superpowers! Death to the British fascist state!”

Police have confirmed the alleged couple were arrested in the 1970s, but have not elaborated the reason of their arrest.

Suspect couple have been bailed until January pending further investigations.

The three “slaves” — a 57-year-old Irish woman, a Malaysian aged 69 and the 30-year-old Briton — were freed on October 25 after one of the victims had secretly contacted Freedom charity – an organisation that supports the victims of forced marriages.

Police have revealed that the women, who are believed to be living under servitude in Brixton flat, were brainwashed and being beaten, but did not appear to have been sexually assaulted..

Police have also told on Saturday that the two older victims met their male captor through a “shared political ideology” and initially lived with him as part of a collective.

Scotland Yard’s Human Trafficking Unit are currently working to investigate the matter.

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