Gaur Chakraborty on the way to court. (Bishwarup Dutta)

Calcutta, June 24: Gaur Narayan Chakraborty, the CPI (Maoist) spokesperson arrested last evening, was today remanded in police custody till July 6.

His lawyer argued that he was just a sympathiser of the Maoists and that police had neither found any arms on him nor did they have any record of his “unlawful activities against the state”.

“Only a few leaflets on Maoist literature were found on him. That does not prove he is a member of the organisation,” said Tapas Maity.

The 73-year-old Chakraborty was brought to Bankshall Court around 1pm. In a white shirt, black trousers and leather sandals, he tried to present a composed face, but lost his cool as the magistrate announced his police custody.

“The government of this state is fascist,” Chakraborty screamed while being pushed into a police vehicle.

The state has slapped a slew of charges against him — like waging war, attempting to wage war or abetting war against the Government of India, collecting arms for the war, concealing facts to help a plot to wage war.

The public prosecutor argued that since the CPI (Maoist) was a banned organisation, anybody associated with it should be considered an enemy of the state.

“He is a law- abiding citizen,” said his lawyer.

While he was being taken back to the central police lock-up at Lalbazar, a handful of people shouted slogans protesting the arrest. Asked who they were, they identified themselves as “protesters against police atrocities and CPM’s corruption and dictatorship”.

The police raided Chakraborty’s home in Nadia’s Chakdah tonight.