Jamshedpur, Jan. 25: Naxalite leader Ranjit Pal alias Rahul (35), who is the main accused in the murder of former member of Parliament, late Sunil Mahato on Wednesday surrendered before the director general of police, West Bengal in Kolkata.
Rahul’s wife Sunita (30) who is also an ultra accompanied the naxal leader for surrendering before the Bengal police.
“Maoist leader Ranjit Pal and his wife Anita Pal alias Jharna Giri have surrendered before the STF of Kolkata police today. There are several serious charges since 2003. This is a very important case of surrender,” West Bengal Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkaystha told the media.
According to police, Pal operated as the commander in-chief in the West Bengal-Jharkhand border area.
The Maoist leader said he has surrendered after realising that one cannot do good for the people and the society through violent means. He also expressed his satisfaction over the present state government’s initiative in addressing the issues they were fighting for.
“I have realised good cannot be done for the people and the society through the path of violence. Our struggle was against certain problems in the state. But the present state government is addressing those issues. They are also trying to bring others like us who are still in the wrong track, into the mainstream,” Pal said after laying down arms.
East Singhbhum district superintendent of police (rural) Shailendra Kumar Burnwal termed the surrender as a major development. �Rahul was wanted in as many as 17 naxal-related cases in the East Singhbhum and was carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head by the Jharkhand police for his role in the murder of former MP, Sunil Mahato. We are collecting the details about the cases in which he was wanted,” he said.
Burnwal, when asked, said the surrendered rebel leader was wanted in dozens of naxal-related cases in Bengal, but they would try to bring in police remand from Bengal as early as possible.
Sunil Mahato, a senior leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Mahato and the then MP of Jamshedpur, was gunned down by a group of naxals at Baguria in Galudih under Ghatshila thana area in the afternoon of March 4 in 2007. Four of his body-guards had also been killed by the naxals who were allegedly being led by Rahul.
A year after the MP’s murder, the Jharkhand police had transferred the investigation into the sensational murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Ever since the CBI took over the charge, Rahul hid into the West Midnapore district of Bengal, but would still visit the places like Dampara, Galudih and Ghatshila for carrying out his anti-insurgency activities in Ghatshila sub-division.
Sources in the police said ever since a hardcore naxal Supaye Tuddu was killed in a police encounter at Ghurabandha on January 3, the pressure from the Jharkhand police Rahul was left with no option than to surrender in Bengal.
