Police raided Mahato’s home and recovered some Maoist material and a photograph of the elusive radical Left-wing leader Kishenji with his face covered in front of the camera.

“Arms and ammunition were recovered from Chhatradhar Mahato’s house. He has been booked for anti-national activities and remanded to five days’ police custody,” Public Prosecutor Suman Mahapatra said. Mahato against whom 22 cases have been lodged, was produced at the Jhargram court in West Midnapore district.

Release Mahato

Meanwhile, cultural activists, artists and intellectuals took to the streets in the city on Monday demanding immediate release of Mahato. The protesters    condemned the manner of his arrest and urged the state government to release him.

“In our opinion, government has arrested Chhatradhar Mahato in an unethical manner because the CID officers, police officers, arrested him disguised as journalists. This is unethical. We demand his unconditional release,” Dilip Chakravorty, a cultural activist, said.

Mahato, leader of People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), which has been spearheading agitation against alleged police atrocities, was nabbed from Pirka region, near Lalgarh village, when he was about to give an interview to a cop posing as a journalist.

The PCAPA leaders who held an emergency meeting following Mahato’s arrest,  decided to impose tough conditions for all future media interviews with any of its spokespersons. While claiming that the arrest of Mahato will not affect its activities, the organisation will like to monitor people’s response to its call for a two-day bandh from September 30 in West Midnapore district, particularly Lalgarh region and decide on the future course of action.