Kolkata: Former Maoist and currently West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress state committee leader Chhatradhar Mahato, who was accused of murder of a CPI(M) leader and masterminding of an explosion into an express passenger train, was arrested at the wee hours on Sunday by a team of NIA (National Investigation Agency), official sources said.
The 55-year-old politician, who recently skipped several NIA summons owing to his alleged toothache, was seen at his Lalgarh village area and cast cote for the first time in 11 years, was picked up early Sunday by the central investigation agency.
After his release from the jail last year, Mahato, a former convener of the Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) joined the TMC and became the core committee member of the ruling party.
He came into the news following the Salboni blast of Maoists in November 2008 on the Rajdhani Express and accused of murdering a CPI(M) leader in 2009.
A court of law has convicted Mahato under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) along with other three PCPA members Sukhshanti Baske, Sambhu Soren and Sagun Murmu and sentenced life imprisonment on 12 May 2015.
Official sources said the arrested leader was being brought to Kolkata and to produce him in the Bankshall Court later today for further remand.
They said the NIA had summoned Mahato on March 16, 18 and 22 and March 26 and on all occasions he skipped the calls. (UNI)