Gyaneshwari train mishap conspirator arrested

Confirming the arrest, West Midnapore district police superintendent M K Varma said that acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the CBI and the state police sprang a surprise on Mahato (26), originally a resident of Muraboni village under the Jhargram police station of West Midnapore, tracking him down at Mayurbhanj where he was allegedly hiding in his brother-in-law’s house.

The accused would be produced in the Jhargram court on Thursday, the SP added. Mahato, it is learnt, was the brain behind the entire operation of sabotaging the Gyaneshwari Express train and helped other accomplices in carrying out the attack that killed over 140 people. Manik, who was frequently changing his residences, was hiding in the house of Bijay whose antecedents are being verified to ascertain whether he was also involved in Maoist activities, police said.

Jhargram police sources said Manik was a history-sheeter who had fled after the CBI announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh each for the key accused, Bapi Mahto, who was later arrested in Jharkhand. Bapi Mahto, during interrogation, had revealed the name of Manik, who was present at a meeting of the conspirators on the night preceding the mishap.