Jadavpur University alumna denies being a Maoist

KOLKATA - A former woman student of Jadavpur University, who was dubbed as a Maoist leader by West Bengal police’s criminal investigation department (CID), Thursday rubbished the allegation and threatened to take legal action.

Addressing reporters at the university complex, Debalina Chakraborty said: “We have spoken to our lawyer and will take legal step against the CID for fabricating charges against me.”

CID Deputy Inspector General Anuj Sharma Wednesday claimed that his sleuths have recovered a letter from a Maoist courier, Rajesh Mandal, that was meant for Narayan alias Madhusudan Mandal, secretary of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) Nandigram zonal committee, who is under arrest.

“We got a letter from one of the arrested leaders which was written by one Debu to Madhusudan Mandal. The letter urged Madhusudan Mandal to call a meeting of the Nandigram zonal committee. On investigation, we have found that this Debu is Debalina Chakraborty,” Sharma said.

Sharma said Chakraborty was a Tollygunge resident and former student of Judavpur University.

The CID arrested Madhusudan Mandal along with Sidhartha Mandal, Rajesh Mandal, and two other CPI-Maoist members from Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas district.

Chakraborty is the secretary of Matangini Mahila Samity, a women’s organisation working for the upliftment of women in tribal and underdeveloped areas of Nandigram and Lalgarh.

She said: “We were with the people of Nandigram in their movement against forcible land acquisition. Now we support the tribal body - Peoples’ Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) - and the Lalgarh movement.”

“Our organisation came into being during the Nandigram movement and presently we have criticized the state government for their wrong policies and launching joint forces’ operation in Lalgarh, which is unethical,” she said.

She said the government wanted to throttle their voices by branding them as Maoists.

Denying that she was a Maoist leader, Chakraborty said: “On an earlier occasion, the police had cordoned me off in my hostel room claiming that I possess a bunch of Maoists leaflets.”

“If I was a Maoist, I would not be present here today to hold the press conference. I am very much here. I don’t know why they are saying that I have absconded,” said Chakraborty.

Representatives of mass organisations like Bondi Mukti Committee (committee for the release of prisoners), Lalgarh Sanhati Mancha (platform for Lalgarh union) and United Democratic Student’s Forum, were also present at the press conference.

The Maoist rebels are waging a guerrilla war against the Indian government in a bid to take over state control.

In West Bengal, the Maoists are mainly active in the three western districts of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura.