Nine Maoists who killed ex MLA’s bodyguards in Chaibasa arrested

Police recover arms, posters, bike and phones used by the rebels

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Feb 12: East Singhbhum police arrested nine suspected members of the banned ultra-Leftist organization, Communist Party of India (Maoist), in connection with the killing of two police bodyguards of former MLA Gurucharan Nayak on 4^th January last.

Those arrested were identified as Pradhan Koda, Pusa Lugun, Kujari Kerai, Sriram Tubid, Mangal Singh Lugun, Mangal Singh Diggi, Rangiya Lugun and Suniya Surin, all residents of West Singhbhum.

According to West Singhbhum SP Ajay Linda, the arrested rebels had looted arms from the bodyguards of the former MLA in Chaibasa. The rebels had also shot dead one Munshi Bedram Lugun in Amrai forests and set fire to an excavator machine of a local contractor for not paying extortion money to them, he said.

Police also recovered a country made gun, three carbines, 42 rounds, banners with Maoist slogans, posters, a motorcycle and seven mobile phones from the possession of the accused persons.

The SP said the incident of attack on Nayak was pre-meditated. The former Mukhiya of Bela Panchayat, Gujri Kerai, had been asked to invite the former MLA to the sports event of Jhilarua High School on 4^th January. He was asked to keep Nayak at the venue till dusk after which the rebels planned to loot arms from his bodyguards. But when Nayak’s bodyguards resisted, they were first disabled with red chilly powder and thereafter stabbed with knives by the rebels, cops said.