Mahato charged under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act

Chhatradhar Mahato at Jhargram court on Sunday. Mahato has been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Picture by Samir Mondal

JHARGRAM: People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) leader Chhatradhar Mahato, who was arrested on Saturday, has been charged with
sedition and remanded in five days’ police custody. He also faces charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

A grim looking Mahato was produced before the Jhargram assistant chief judicial magistrate on Sunday, along with eight suspected Maoists arrested from Kantapahari and Kumarbandh on Saturday. No civilians, including journalists, were allowed into the court premises that was ringed by heavily armed securitymen.

Koushik Sinha and Prashanta Roy, counsels for the accused, claimed police had tortured Chhatradhar and the eight others so badly that they were unable to walk properly. The prosecution, however, argued that they were injured when they ‘‘fell down while trying to escape’’. Chhatradhar has been charged under various of the UAPA and is accused of raising fund for a terrorist organization, attempting to murder members of security forces and conspiring against the state to create terror. He also faces charges under IPC like sedition, waging war against the state, etc.

Some of these cases relate to ransacking and setting fire to Ramgarh police camp on June 15, and the explosions at Dalilpur and Kantapahari on Saturday, soon after his arrest. The other eight — Gorachand Hembram, Sajan Murmu, Subir Hansda, Hiralal Murmu, Baburam Kisku, Sagun Murmu, Ranjit Murmu and Sambhu Soren — have been arrested for allegedly triggering IED blasts after Mahato’s arrest. TOI