Gaya, Nov. 30: Forty-eight hours have passed since police nabbed a suspected Maoist from a place in the Paraia area, but they are yet to establish his identity.

The police claimed that the person they nabbed late on Sunday evening was Shivji Dhobi, alias Tyagi, a member of the Bihar, Jharkhand and north Uttarakhand special area committee of CPI(Maoist). However, some public representatives and villagers of Paraia block have identified the person as Dilip Paswan.

Had the arrested person been Dhobi, it would have been a big catch for Gaya Police. However, as his identity could not be established till reports last came in, he has been lodged at Rampur police station. The same problem has prevented the police from producing the man in court. He could neither be released nor be presented before the court.

Police are claiming that the arrested person was Dhobi on the basis of an old photograph of the Maoist. A sub-zonal commander of CPI(Maoist), presently lodged in Gaya Central Jail, was also taken to Rampur police station late on Monday evening and he, too, identified the person as Dhobi.

During interrogation by senior police officials, the person was adamant that he was Dilip Paswan and not Dhobi. Gaya police have contacted Jharkhand and Uttarakhand police also to establish the identity of the arrested man.