Nine ‘Maoists’ surrender at Mamata’s residence

Nine youths, who claimed to be Maoist activists, on Monday expressed their willingness to surrender before the police. 

This is important in view of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s two-day visit in Junglemahal starting from Tuesday.  

Sources said they took the decision to surrender with an expectation that they can come back to the mainstream of life. 

Nine Maoists from Jamboni and Binpur on Monday went to Kalighat considering that they will be allowed to meet the Chief Minister. But the policemen, posted outside the Banerjee’s house, informed Kalighat police station after knowing that the youths want to surrender. 

Policemen from the police station rushed to the chief minister’s residence and brought them to the police station. Special Branch of the city police was also informed. They took the Maoist activists to the office of Intelligence Branch (IB) on Lord Sinha Road. 

They were taken to the IB’s office at around 1 pm. The nine Maoist activists include Jitendra Mahato were in the IB’s office for around three hours. 

Sources said they have given hand written applications to the director general of the Intelligence Branch Raj Kanojia. In their applications they mentioned that they have decided to surrender because they want to come back to mainstream of life. 

Police came to know that all nine of them held a meeting among themselves in house of one of them in Jamboni a few days ago and decided to surrender. 

According to an officer of the IB, based on their application the district police have been asked to verify that in what sort of activities of the Maoists they were involved and for how long they were involved in the activity. 

The IB officers were busy till evening at their office to prepare necessary documents to send to the district police for verification of all nine of them. 

After the verification is complete, a screening committee comprised of senior police officers including DG (IB), IG (Westen range), DIG (midnapore) and IG (CRPF) will go through the application and take the decision about the surrender of the nine youths.