Pro-Maoist sent to judicial custody for 14 days

KOLKATA - Manoj Mahato, spokesperson of the pro-Maoist tribal body Peoples’ Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), was Sunday remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a court in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district.

Mahato was presented in the Jhargram additional chief judicial magistrate’s court under tight security Sunday, a day after the police announced his arrest during a two-day joint operation in the district.

Police counsel sought Mahato’s custody for interrogation.

However, the judge asked why Mahato had not been produced in court Saturday despite papers submitted by the police showing that he was arrested at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Police counsel claimed that the PCAPA leader could not be brought to court Saturday due to security reasons.

After listening to the police counsel and Mahato’s counsel, the judge sent him to judicial custody.

The PCAPA Friday alleged that Mahato had been picked up by a group of policemen in civvies from his residence at Birkara near Lalgarh.