Maoist activist held for role in teacher’s killing

KOLKATA - A Maoist activist was arrested Monday for his alleged involvement in the killing of a primary teacher in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district on July 23, police said.

Kartik Dutta was arrested early Monday from his residence in Muraboni near Manikpara in Jhargram sub-division.

“During investigation into the murder case of 58-year-old Rabindranath Mahato, the headmaster of Indiraboni primary school, we came to know about Kartik’s involvement and he was arrested,” said Jhargram district superintendent of police Praveen Tripathi.

A senior police officer said Kartik had confessed that he had been asked to keep a watch on Mahato and also on the security forces’ movement.

Three youths came on motorcycle and gunned down Mahato in front of the primary school.

“Kartik has named the three persons involved in the killing and also their whereabouts,” said the police chief.

Kartik confessed that Mahato was killed for preventing the school students from joining rallies organised by the Maoist-backed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA).

PCAPA leaders also regularly held meetings in the classrooms regularly resulting in shutdown of the school. Mahato also protested this, said the police officer.

Besides Mahato’s killing, Kartik was also wanted in several cases including looting and damaging government property, said the police chief.