The spokesperson of the Maoist-backed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) Manoj Mahato was arrested by the police on Friday morning, the PCPA alleged. The police and the state government, however, denied it.
State home secretary Samar Ghosh also said that he had no information about Mahato’s arrest or detention. According to the PCPA, Mahato was nabbed from his home in Birakara village in Lalgarh area in West Midnapore district. His father Kalipada Mahato alleged that the security personnel arrived at around 7 am and held him when Mahato was having tea. “They had raided our house last night also but since Manoj was not at home, they went away,” he claimed.
Even some villagers saw Mahato being taken in a police vehicle. The security personnel apparently told his father that they were taking him to the Kantapahari camp. “When we later went there and inquired about Manoj, the CRPF jawans informed us that he had been taken to the police headquarters in Midnapore town,” Mr Kalipada Mahato added. Midnapore
Superintendent of police Manoj Verma, however, denied that Manoj was arrested. Mahato’s family and PCPA apprehend that the police may eliminate him in a fake encounter. After Chhatradhar Mahato, Manoj had emerged as a powerful leader of the PCPA.