Maoist leaders arrested in Patna

HAZARIBAG: A senior police officer has confirmed that Ravi Sharma, member of the CPI(Maoist) central committee, was arrested from a jungle close
to the Hazaribag National Park under Ichak police station on Saturday. He was first arrested by the Andhra police from Patna on a tip-off by some Maoists arrested there.

On the basis of that information, a high-level police team from Andhra Pradesh went to Patna and arrested Sharma and his colleague, whose name is yet to be disclosed. After the arrest, police left Patna for AP with the dreaded Maoist leader by an SUV on October 10.

When the vehicle reached Ichak More on their way to Andhra via Hazaribag, it was not allowed to proceed further as JVM activists had blocked NH-33. Taking advantage of that, Sharma and his colleague raised an alarm, shouting: "Bachao, bachao."

Soon a mob forcibly opened the door of the vehicle. The Ichak police also reached there and freed the two Maoists, who manged to escape taking advantage of the chaos all around. But the Andhra police team, who were travelling with them, soon launched an operation along with the local police to locate Sharma. He was then nabbed from a nearby forest and whisked away to some unknown destination.

Later, a police team was sent to Patna from where they nabbed Aradhana, chief of the Maoist women’s wing, Nari Mukti Sangh (NMS), and brought her back to Hazaribag. After that, both Sharma and Anuradha were taken by the Hazaribag police to an unknown destination for interrogation.

Sharma, incidentally, was working as a top agriculture scientist in Pusa Agriculture University in Bihar and Aradhana, who also did her PhD, played a vital role in organizing the NMS.

According to sources, state director-general of police V D Ram has congratulated the Hazaribag police on their success. TOI

Orissa: Scribe harassed for ‘sedition’

D N Singh

At a time when the state of Orissa faces the biggest internal security threat from the Maoist menace spread over 23 out of 30 districts of the state and the security ‘bandobust’ remains incapable of coping with it, the police in Orissa seems to be desperate to somehow save its face. As a result they look for soft targets – either innocent tribals or common men – to please the bosses in Bhubaneswar. And the most recent victim of police wrath was a journalist in the Gajapti district of Orissa. Journalist Laxman Choudhry was thrown behind bars on the charges of ‘sedition’.

His only fault was that he had in his possession a few leaflets sent by the Maoists, which is an usual practice the Maoists adopt to remain in touch with the media.

What is more pathetic is that, just two days back the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who holds the Home portfolio, dubbed charges against Laxman Choudhry as ‘ridiculous’ in the presence of a battery of media men and told his principal secretary to immediately take up the matter with the local police and drop the charges against Choudhry within 24 hours.

Cop linked to Maoists attempts suicide

KUMUD JENAMANI

Jamshedpur, Oct. 13: A police sub-inspector tried to commit suicide inside his police station while being interrogated last night for his alleged links with an area commander of the CPI(Maoist) in Kuchai in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district.

Habil Bara, the sub- inspector posted at Dalbhanga Thana outpost in Kuchai, was admitted to the ICU of Tata Main Hospital where he was being treated for injuries, police sources claimed, he sustained while attempting to take his life.

Bara’s alleged links with Maoist leader Shyam Mahto were revealed by two rebels who were arrested yesterday from Kuchai, a transit point for rebels, who use the jungles to hold training camps and travel to Saranda in West Singhbhum, Ghatshila and Bengal.

During interrogation, Feroj Singh Munda and Lakhan Sardar told the superintendent of police of Seraikela Kharsawan, Abhishek, that sub-inspector Bara was known to the Maoists and their area commander. Bara was also privy to various “underhand dealings” with them, the duo added.

The police had seized a pair of whistles, rifle springs and Maoist literature from the two, who were on their way to hand them over to Mahto in Kuchai.

The superintendent of police summoned Bara immediately and began grilling him. A little later, according to police sources, the sub-inspector left the room saying he was feeling unwell and then tried to hang himself from a ceiling fan in an adjoining room at the Kuchai police station.

Other policemen, who were keeping a watch, prevented him from going ahead. But by then, Bara was injured.

“When we summoned the sub-inspector to the police station and began interrogating him about his (Maoist) links, he fell sick suddenly. Later, he had to be admitted to hospital,” Abhishek said, refusing to confirm or deny that it was a suicide attempt.

The superintendent of police admitted the allegation that Bara, a resident of Roshanpur village in Sisai in Gumla, used to help Maoists of Kuchai was serious.

“Though initial reports suggest that Bara used to extend tacit support to Naxalites, we do not have any material evidence against him. Therefore, we will have to probe further,” the SP said.

“Moreover, the sub-inspector is undergoing treatment at TMH and we will be able to resume interrogation only after he recovers,” he added.

Bara was under police watch at the hospital. His wife, Fulkari Toppo, and his daughter, Shital, were at the hospital last night.

“I am not aware what happened to my husband and how he fell sick,” said the school teacher while she was waiting outside the ICU. TT

Lalgarh: Tribal outfit blames CPM for its workers’ killing

The Jharkhand Party (Naren) has accused the CPM of killing its supporters in the Lalgarh and Binpur area.

Chunibala Hansda, Jharkhand Party (Naren) legislator from Binpur, alleged that CPM cadres in the name of Maoist resistance committee — which was formed by the ruling party in various villages — killed six of her party supporters since a joint operation of Central and State security forces was launched in the Lalgarh area to flush out the Maoists.

Criticising the role of the police, Hansda said that every time a party worker was killed, the administration blamed it on the Maoists.

Yesterday, CPM activists attacked Anando Mahato, a leader of JP(N), at Madhupur village but he was able to escape, she said.

A group of armed CPM activists killed Asim Soren, Shaktipada Murmu and Budhu Hansda — three party activists — at Aankro village, about 25 km from Lalgarh on August 4, she alleged.

CPM activists dragged them out from a local cold storage where they were employed and killed them before dumping their bodies in a nearby field, she added.

Hansda said that her party supporters in the Lalgarh area had joined Chhatradhar Mahato-led People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) last year as it was formed to organise a tribal movement. But soon after the Lok Sabha elections, the situation gradually changed. Armed Maoists used to demand food from the villagers and they were forced to feed them out of fear, she said. The police used to torch the houses of the villagers allegedly for assisting the Maoists, she added.

Manoj Verma, SP of West Midnapore, refused to comment on the allegations and said: “Investigations into the killings (of JP(N) supporters) have not been completed. So it is not possible to say who were responsible.” said Verma.

Meanwhile, the CPM district committee secretary of West Midnapore, Dipak Sarkar also refused to comment. IE

Lalgarh: LF partner RSP protests ‘misuse’ of UAPA

Kolkata: The RSP, a constituent of the Left Front, today expressed reservations against invoking the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act at a time when the state government has launched a drive against Maoists in Lalgarh and other areas.

The RSP’s opposition was voiced at a bipartite meeting with LF major CPI-M, RSP leader Manoj Bhattacharjee said.

"We are opposed to such piece of legislation. We feel that this is essentially an anti-democratic legislation and we apprehend that it will be used to thwart democratic aspirations of people at large," Bhattacharjee, RSP secretariat member, told after meeting CPI(M) leaders.

Another RSP leader Kshiti Goswami said the party was strongly opposed to misuse of the provisions of the Act under which Maoist-backed tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato was recently booked.

The CPI(M) delegation at the meeting was led by party state secretary Biman Bose. The meeting was held prior to a Left Front meeting during the day.

Goswami said it had been pointed out at the meeting that some decisions were being taken bypassing the front. "We cannot take responsibility for decisions being taken without informing us".

The party had also raised the issue of Left support to the Congress in Siliguri, he said. Samay Live