Patna, Sept. 30: A mutilated body, suspected to be of Chhattu Yadav, a Maoist area commander operating in Bihar and Jharkhand, was recovered today from the Didarganj area of Patna City.

Yadav had been reported missing since September 5 this year. He was living in Chainpur village under Bhagwanganj police station of the Masauri block on the outskirts of Patna.

Yadav had gone for a case hearing to the Patna civil court but did not return home. His family (wife and sister) had lodged a missing complaint with the Bhagwanganj police station.

Yadav had been arrested by Calcutta police last year and was sent to prison. He secured bail after six months and then returned to Chainpur.

“Today, the police recovered a mutilated body from a stream in Madhopur under the Didarganj police station. Yadav’s family was called for identification and they confirmed the body was his on the basis of a silver tooth. But it can also be a ploy by Yadav to escape legal action. Investigations are on in this connection,” Patna city central SP and acting SSP Shivdeep Lande said.

Police sources said the body was in a bad shape with no legs and arms.

“Yadav was a hardcore Naxalite and was quite active in regions of Bihar and Jharkhand. The body, at present, has been sent for a post-mortem,” a police officer said.