Belhar SHO Manoranjan Bharti flanked by Jetha Marandi (second row, left), his wife and children at the police station on Monday. Picture by Amit Kumar

The family members of an arrested Naxalite suspect in Jamui district were pleasantly surprised by the behaviour of police towards them on Monday.

On Sunday night, acting on a tip-off, the police and the 131st battalion of Central Reserve Police Force nabbed Jetha Marandi, 45, a suspected rebel leader near Tinpathra in the Dhabatard forest.

Informed about the arrest, Marandi’s wife Shanti, 40, daughter Lalita, 16, and sons Srilal, 12, and Sonu, 4, travelled 24km from their home in Kamlu village under Lakshmipur block of Jamui district to Belhar police station.

“The policemen behaved very well with us. We were offered snacks and water as soon as we arrived,” said Lalita, a Class X student of Dhanga High School in the Lakshmipur block.

She said: “Barababu (Belhar police station house officer Manoranjan Bharti) asked me about my studies. I told him that I did not have a bicycle and needed guess papers (reference study material). He assured he would help me get a bicycle and he bought me a guess paper for Rs 305.”

The police also provided Lalita, her mother and brothers money to return home.

Asked about the demeanour of the police towards the family of an arrested rebel, Bharti said it was a part of community policing to reduce the influence of the Naxalites.

“We have helped the families of many Maoists arrested or killed by the police,” the police officer added.

Jetha has been involved with the Naxalites for years and has been involved in a number of incidents.

Bharti said: “He used to work as a guide for a group of Maoists and help them negotiate the inaccessible regions of Jamui, Munger and Banka and Giridih in Jharkhand. He was involved in the attack on a Bihar Military Police camp at Akbarnagar in Bhagalpur on January 10, 2010, and looted arms from the security personnel.”

He said: “The law will take its course but the innocent family members should not suffer. For instance, Lalita is a good student. She will take the boards in 2014. We should help her and is encourage her to study.”

Her son, Srilal, who studies at a private school at Digghi, was more forthcoming about how the benevolent behaviour of the police had influenced him.

He said: “Earlier, I wanted to become a Party Man (Naxalite). Now, I want to be a policeman.”