By IANS,
Kolkata : Pro-Maoist tribal outfit’s chief Chhatradhar Mahato’s election agent, who was arrested Thursday for his alleged involvement in a murder case, was bailed out by a local court Friday, said his defence counsel.
Bhagua Mahato was presented before Jhargram additional chief judicial magistrate’s court Friday after being arrested for his alleged involvement in a 2008 murder case in Binpur area. However, his name was not mentioned in the first information report (FIR) and also in the charge sheet, said Bhagua’s defence counsel Kaushik Sinha.
“As his name was not mentioned in the charge sheet, a prayer was made before the court that he has been arrested only for being Chhatradhar’s election agent, which was unethical. Before being nominated the election agent, he had taken permission from the returning officers concerned and he was roaming in the area. So, police cannot arrest him on the charge that there was a pending warrant against him,” Sinha told IANS over phone.
On hearing the appeal, the court released Bhagua Mahato on bail, said Sinha.
Chhatradhar, convenor of the Peoples’ Committee Against Police Atrocities, is contesting from Jhargram constituency, which will go to poll May 10, in the sixth phase of the assembly elections.
The Maoists are active in three western districts of the state – West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura.