Even as four Maoists in Jharkhand were on Thursday awarded death sentences for a 2007 massacre of 20 people, including the state’s first chief minister Babulal Marandi’s son, the politician known for his hardline stance against Maoism-led violence sprang a shock by seeking less severe punishments for the convicted rebels.
Mr Marandi’s appeal that the convicts be given an opportunity to reform is being widely seen as a strategic move aimed at obvious political gains for his party JVM(P) in the Lok Sabha bypoll in Jamshedpur, which largely remains a Maoist stronghold.
With the Maoists and their sympathisers in most of the six Assembly segments in the Lok Sabha constituency having influenced the outcome of all recent elections, Mr Marandi apparently did not want to lose the rebels’ support in the July 1 bypoll by publicly hailing the verdict as satisfactory to himself and the rebel-ravaged state.
Significantly, the death sentences, pronounced by the Giridih additional district and sessions judge Indradeo Mishra, are the first to be given to any Maoist in Jharkhand.
Mr Marandi’s statements, coming soon after the sentencing, immediately sparked off a shallow yet loud exchange of allegations among various parties, who carefully avoided any direct criticism of the Maoists or justification of the latest verdict.
The four Maoists — main accused Jeetan Marandi, Manoj Rajwar, Anil Rajwar and Chhatrapati Mandal — were convicted a day before the sentencing while six others accused of causing the massacre were freed for want of sufficient evidence.
On October 27, 2007, 20 people were gunned down during a cultural programme and a football match at a school ground in Chilkhari village in Giridih district.
The dead included Marandi’s son Anup Marandi.
“I feel such severe punishment should not have been delivered (by the court). These people (convicts) should have the opportunity to appeal in the high court. I certainly had great personal loss, but these people should be allowed an opportunity for reform,” said Mr Marandi.