Kolkata: A lower court remanded senior CPI (Maoist) leader Asim Mandal, alias Akash, Timir and Manoj to police custody until September 29 on Friday.
He was arrested on Thursday by the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata from Patashpur in East Midnapore district
After being presented in court, counsel for the Kolkata Police STF told the court that there were 55 cases against Akash in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. The Jharkhand and Odisha governments had announced a reward of Rs 2.2 crore.
“Akash is an active member of a banned organisation. His activities harmed the sovereignty and integrity of the state. He was also responsible for creating a cycle of illegal activities and sabotage involving the three states. He used to hide himself by frequently changing names,” the STF counsel told the court.
No bail application was moved on behalf of Akash. His counsel, Yasin Rahman, told the court that accusations of sabotage had been made against Akash for decades. However, many people involved in this force before 2011 have since become ‘heroes’ in society and mainstream political figures.
Akash’s arrest is being viewed as a significant success for security agencies and a major setback to Maoist activities in the tribal and forested regions spread across the three eastern states.
A native of Fulchak village under Chandrakona Police Station in West Midnapore district, Mandal is said to have become involved in Left-Wing extremist activities during his student years in the 1980s.
He later joined the People’s War Group and worked extensively in the Sarenga and Goaltor regions of West Bengal as well as the Gurabanda area of Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district.
Security agencies’ records show that nearly 55 serious criminal cases are registered against him across Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. Several of these cases relate to attacks on security forces and armed encounters in Jharkhand.
Following the formation of CPI (Maoist) in September 2004, he returned to the Jangalmahal region spanning parts of Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore districts. He became actively involved in the outfit’s activities.
He also played a key role during the Lalgarh movement, after which he was entrusted with the responsibility of Secretary of the West Bengal State Committee in 2010. He later held important positions in the Bengal-Jharkhand-Odisha Regional Committee.
According to police sources, the Maoist network in West Bengal suffered a major setback after the November 2011 encounter killing of senior Maoist leader Kishanji. Thereafter, Mandal is said to have gone completely underground and remained elusive for years until his arrest on Thursday.
(IANS)
