Maoists call for bandh in Purulia; demand release of founder Chhatradhar Mahato

KOLKATA: Maoist frontal organisation, Peoples Committee Against Police Atrocities ( PCAPA), has called a 12-hour bandh in Purulia and two other districts of Jangalmahal on Monday, demanding the release of it’s founder and convenor Chhatradhar Mahato.

Police sources claimed that Mahato had direct links with Maoists and his brother Sasadhar Mahato was a Maoist activist who was killed in police encounter. Sasadhar’s wife Suchitra was also a Maoist action committee member before she surrendered to Mamata Banerjee’s government after killing of Kishenji.

Police sources also said posters were found in different areas of Purulia town, Arsa and Ayodhaya Hills asking people to support the bandh. These posters were put up by PCAPA. In Urma station, some Maoists posters called Banerjee a traitor. Police is worried about the bandh because this is for the first time after the killing of Maoist military strategist Kishenji in November 2011 that the frontal organisation of the Maoists has given a bandh call in Purulia.

State intelligence sources said that Maoists were trying to sneak into Bengal from adjoining Jharkhand to re-establish themselves and the red ultras still had links with PCAPA which has called a bandh in Jangalmahal.