Arrested Maoists remanded in 14-day judicial custody

KATIHAR: Seven hardcore Maoists, including three top-ranking CPI(Maoist) Central Committee members, who were arrested by the State Task Force (STF) in tandem with the district police on Friday, were remanded in judicial custody by the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) R M Tripathy on Sunday.
Among those who were remanded to judicial custody were CPI(Maoist) Central Committee members are Varanasi Subramanayan alias Srikant, Bijay Kumar Arya alias Amar and Pulendu Shekhar.The other hardcore Maoists remanded to jail custody were North Bihar and north UP regional bureau chief Abhimanyu alias Umesh Yadav, North Bihar Eastern Zonal Committee member Nokhelal Choudhury, Shyamji Rishi and Aniruddh Ravidas.
The Maoists leaders were arrested by a STF team led by SP Sudhir Kumar Singh in association with the district police during a raid in Ganesh Tola at Shitgaon village under the Barsoi police station in Katihar district on Friday following a tip-off.
The top Maoist functionaries, wanted in connection with armed uprisings and other cases in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, were immediately taken to Patna. Senior Bihar police officers soon got in touch with their counterparts in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal and exchanged inputs about the activities of the arrested rebels, police said.
They were brought back to Katihar around 11.15 am on Sunday. The CJM Tripathy insisted on the production of warrants and related documents against them. The CJM court finally granted 14-day judicial custody for the arrested Maoist leaders, court sources said.
The arrested Maoists shouted slogans like "Maoism zindabad", "police murdabad" when they were produced in the court. A case has been lodged with the Barsoi police station against the hardcore Maoists, according to the Katihar SDPO.
Purnia (range) DIG Amit Kumar said the Maoist leaders had been remanded in judicial custody. He said they were charged with indulging in unlawful activities. They have not been slapped charges of sedition as yet, the DIG clarified.
DGP Neelmani, however, indicated that the arrested Maoist leaders would be taken on police remand at an appropriate time. Bihar IG (Operations) is in constant touch with counterparts in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and police officers of these states are likely to interrogate them soon.
The arrested Maoists are lodged in Katihar jail where adequate security measures are already in place, the DGP told TOI over phone on Monday.
The Maoists, it may be recalled, had in the past targeted railway tracks in and around Katihar district. This besides, the Maoists have brought western parts of Katihar and adjoining Purnia districts under their influence in recent months.