Ranchi/Jamshedpur, Oct. 4: Jharkhand has decided to bring Chhatradhar Mahato, the leader of Maoist-backed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities recently arrested in Bengal, on a three-day transit remand.
Mahato, currently in CID custody, will be quizzed by the East Singhbhum district police in connection with a case pending against him at Chakulia police station.
Superintendent of police Naveen Kumar Singh said the rebel leader was on a seven-day police remand in Calcutta and would be sent to judicial custody by a Jhargram court on October 7. “The same day a petition will be filed in the court, praying for his transit remand,” he said, adding that the prayer would be supported by a copy of FIR that had been lodged against him in Chakulia on May 31.
Singh said Mahato would be grilled about activities of his organisation in the Singhbhum region, particularly in Ghatshila sub-division. “Besides, we will like to find out if there are sympathisers in Jharkhand and whether any of them is funding the outfit. He will be quizzed on his Maoist links and on active members of his outfit taking shelter in our district,” the SP said.
Mahato’s People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities had made an abortive attempt to organise a massive rally in Chakulia on May 30. More than 500 members from Jhargram, West Midnapore, had reached the venue, but were stopped by the police. Some two dozen were rounded up for disrupting peace. Nine are still lodged in Ghatshila sub-divisional jail.
In another development, Maoist zonal commander Chandrabhusan Yadav, who was arrested in Chinsurah, Bengal on Friday, was brought to the state on a four-day transit remand this morning. Police spokesperson and IG (provision) S.N. Pradhan said as many as 16 cases were pending against him in Gumla, Latehar and Lohardaga.
Encounter
A Jharkhand Jaguar jawan was injured in an encounter with Naxalites in Tamar, about 50km from Ranchi, this afternoon.
Acting on the tip-off that an armed squad of 25-30 rebels was on the move near Madhukamdih, a Jaguar team reached the village and faced a hail of bullets. Jawan A. Chhatri was injured in the attack. A Dhruv helicopter airlifted him to Apollo Hospital, Ranchi.
