Slavery suspect Aravindan Balakrishnan was more of a "toothless old man" than a "charismatic" figure, according to the cousin of a woman who lived in his commune for more than 20 years.
Eleri Morgan claims her cousin Sian Davies died in 1997 after mysteriously falling out of a bathroom window in the house the group were living in in Brixton, south London. Ms Davies was kept in hospital for seven months after the fall, but her family claim they were not told.
Ms Morgan said Ms Davies wrote home talking of how she was looking after the "mothers of the world" but was not allowed to see her cousin. Her letters always spoke of "comrade Bala" - the name used to refer to Balakrishnan.
A senior council source confirmed that Balakrishnan, 73, and his wife Chanda, 67, were arrested last week by police amid allegations that they held three women for more than 30 years. It is claimed they were leaders of an extremist Maoist collective.
The alleged victims - a 30-year-old Briton, a 57-year-old Irishwoman and a 69-year-old Malaysian - are alleged to have suffered years of "physical and mental abuse" at the hands of the pair.
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