Trinamool Congress leader Chhatradhar Mahato arrested by the NIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Trinamool Congress leader Chhatradhar Mahato early on Sunday. Saturday, March 27, was the day of the first phase of Assembly election in West Bengal, in which elections were held in 30 seats of five districts – Purulia, parts of West Midnapore, Bankura and East Midnapore, and Jhargram. Mahato himself had voted on Saturday. The next phase of election in Bengal is on April 1.

Mahato was arrested in the early hours of March 28, and is likely to be produced before a special NIA court in Kolkata.

Summons were issued by the NIA to Mahato earlier in March in connection with the murder of a Communist Party of India (Marxist) worker Prabir Mahato in 2009.

Chhatradhar Mahato is former convenor of People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) that led a movement against the former Left Front government in Bengal. He played a key role in leading the fight against the former government, and the PCPA acted as a frontal organisation of the Maoist that led a powerful movement in Lalgarh. Mahato was arrested in September 2009 by the West Bengal Police and was slapped with charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and continued to be in jail for over 10 years. He was released in February 2021, after which he joined the Trinamool Congress. He has considerable influence in the Jangalmahal area.