13 Naxal Terrorism supporters held

Jun 18, 2010
Kolkata: The West Bengal police on Wednesday arrested 13 Maoist sympathisers, including a scientist, a professor and an author. They have been charged with sedition and waging war against the state. Among others detained, members of human rights group APDR, were let off.

Nisha Biswas, scientist of Central Ceramic and Glass Research Centre, Kanishka Choudhury, professor of Behala college and author-activist Manik Mondal were produced in a Midnapore court on Wednesday.

They were picked up on Tuesday along with 70 others by the joint security forces while trying to meet Maoist leaders in Lalgarh. Now, they have been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days along with 10 others.

The arrests came just before the joint forces did their most successful operation in Lalgarh, only two days before the completion of one year of their operation. At least eight Maoists were killed. Over the past 12 months, the forces had killed only 12 Maoists. Maoists killed many more, including 24 para-military soldiers in one single attack.

It was not without reason that for the first time, the joint forces personnel were seen congratulating each other.

Ardhendu Saha, public prosecutor said, “They said that they had come for a survey but the police realised that they were instigating villagers with anti-national thoughts. That’s why they were arrested.”

The West Bengal police sources have told CNN-IBN that the arrested scientist, professor and author figured in their intelligence reports for the past 18 months. Their phone conversation have been tapped and recorded. Police claim they are incriminating enough to slap them with charges of sedition and trying to wage war against the state. Human rights groups have called the arrests a farce.

Sujato Bhadra, Association For Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR){A chargesheeted naxal terrorist overground supporting group like PUCL, PUDR} said, “If there is any evidence that they were supporting Maoist organisations, they (police) could have arrested them much earlier.”

West Bengal police's record to produce evidence against the Maoists and their sympathisers isn't exactly glorious. At the same time, it's clear that the crackdown has started on the sympathisers who provide money and hideouts to the Maoists

(With inputs from Sougata Mukhopadhyay)