Chhatradhar enters poll fray

A Jhargram court allowed Chhatradhar Mahato,the arrested leader of the pro-Maoist Peoples Committee Against Police Atrocities.

A Jhargram court on Wednesday allowed Chhatradhar Mahato,the arrested leader of the pro-Maoist Peoples Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA),to contest the upcoming polls in West Bengal.

Mahato,who is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act,will be contesting elections from the Jhargram assembly constituency.

He had moved an application in the court of Jhargram Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate for allowing him to enter the poll fray. Mahato has liberty to contest the election as prescribed by the jail code and other rules framed time to time, said ACJM Shiekh Mohammad Reza,allowing the PCAPA leaders request.

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Mahatos counsel Kausik Singha said that his client would fight the poll under the banner of Durniti Santrash Samrajyabad Agrasan Birodhi Mancha (plaform against corruption,terrorism,imperialism).

Elections for the Naxalite-affected areas of Bankura,Purulia and West Midnapore will be held on May 10. Senior Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharjee said it was possibly Mahatos intention to protest against his arrest in a democratic way.

Eminent writer Mahasweta Devi,known to be sympathetic towards Mahato,said she was happy to know that the court has allowed him to contest the polls. Undoubtedly he will get the support from the people and it will be reflected in the poll result,she added.

Mahato was arrested in Lalgarh on September 26,2009 following which the CID booked him under UAPA for alleged involvement with the banned CPI (Maoist). According to the police,he was involved in 37 criminal cases registered in several police stations in West Midnapore,Bakura and Purulia. He got bail in 31 cases from different courts.