Slapping him with charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the Criminal Investigation Department of the West Bengal police has filed a charge sheet at the Jhargram sub-divisional court against Chhatradhar Mahato, convener of the Maoist-backed Police Santrash Birodhi Janashadharaner Committee.
Confirming the development, CID Additional Director-General Raj Kanojia told The Hindu on Saturday that the charge sheet with the UAPA pressed against Mr. Mahato was submitted on December 24.
This is the first charge sheet filed against Mr. Mahato, who was arrested by CID sleuths on September 26 last year following a dramatic undercover operation at Birknar village near Lalgarh in the Paschim Medinipur district. Of the 26 cases of extortion, abduction, rioting and murder that have been pressed against him, he has been granted bail in 18.
The charge sheet was filed in connection with case number 161 registered at the Lalgarh police station on September 26. Mr. Mahato was charged with the UAPA for his alleged connection with the Maoists and for raising funds for them.
However, his counsel Kaushik Sinha claimed that the CID could not have submitted the charge sheet at the Jhargram court on December 24, 2009 since proceedings at the court were stopped since December 22, 2009 with the lawyers staying away from work in protest against the ‘bandh-like situation’ in the town due to Maoist-terror and the administration’s alleged inefficiency to bring back the situation to normalcy.
“The Jhargram court is closed since December 22. Then how could the CID have submitted the charge sheet? It will not be officially accepted by the court until work resumes,” Mr. Sinha said.
Mr. Kanojia asserted: “The court is open even if the members of the Bar are staying away from the daily proceedings.”
The CID had earlier claimed that it had photographs and documents of Mr. Mahato, proving his close association with the Maoists.