Within a week after taking charge of the probe in the Gyaneswari Express sabotage, the CBI in a joint operation with the West Bengal police made its first arrest late on Monday night.
The accused Hiralal Mahato, is a member of Sidhu Kanho Gana Militia, the militant wing of the Maoist-backed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA).
He is a close associate of PCPA leader and prime accused in the case Bapi Mahato, who is absconding. “Hiralal was arrested at Rasua village near Jhargram in West Midnapore during a joint operation of the special crime branch of the CBI and a West Bengal police team led by IG (western zone) Zulfiquar Hasan,” said CBI spokesperson Harsh Bhal.
His arrest gave the CBI a clinching evidence when he confessed during interrogation that he was present at the site in Sardiha on May 28 and had removed the pandrol clips at the railway tracks with his own hands. The CBI also learnt that Bapi included Hiralal in the core team for carrying out the sabotage.
The CBI is now trying to extract the names of the other PCPA members from Hiralal.
“Hiralal was remanded in 10 days’ police custody by the Jhargram court on Tuesday,” Mr Bhal added.