Kolkata: A day after the West Bengal
government categorically denied slapping the Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act on tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato,
the district police on Friday said he was indeed charged with UAPA
on the day of his arrest.
"Chhatradhar has been involved in all sorts of illegal
activities and we have definite proof against him. So, we have
booked him under UAPA on the day of his arrest on October 26,"
West Midnapore SP Manoj Verma told reporters.
"We have photographs with us which show Chhatradhar and
other PCPA leaders sitting with Kishenji and a few other top
Maoist leaders on the field," another official said.
There are also photographs which show that Mahato along
with other members of the PCPA were making land mines with
Maoists in an undisclosed location, the official said. (MORE)
State Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen had yesterday told
reporters at the state secretariat, "Arrest under the Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act requires my permission and the
police has not asked me for it."
The police has evidence to prove that Chhatradhar and his
associates were involved in different kinds of extortion to
collect money.
Mahato, who has been spearheading an agitation since
November last against alleged police excesses in West
Midnapore`s troubled Lalgarh area, was arrested on September
26 and remanded to police custody till October 1.
A Jhargram court had yesterday extended Mahato`s police
custody till October six.
Bureau Report
