Close watch on tribal leader

KOLKATA:The West Bengal administration is keeping a close watch on the activities of Chhatradhar Mahato, leader of the Lalgarh-based resistance group, the “Police Santrash Birodhi Janashadharener Committee (PSBJC)” [People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities], and appropriate action will be taken against him and his associates if required.
Unacceptable Referring to the abduction of nine workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) allegedly by activists of the PSBJC from the Sarenga area of West Bengal’s Bankura district on Tuesday, the State’s Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Raj Kanojia, said here on Wednesday, “such incidents are totally unacceptable”.
Those abducted were reportedly taken to Lalgarh but released 13 hours later following the intervention of senior officials of the Bankura district administration.
“We have taken the incident very seriously. In the event of a recurrence or more lawlessness appropriate action will be taken against Chhatradhar Mahato and his associates”, Mr. Kanojia said.
The State Government suspects that the Maoists are backing the PSBJC even though the leadership of the latter denies any link with the left wing extremists.
The PSBJC has been preventing the entry of the police in large parts of Lalgarh in the State’s Paschim Medinipur district for more than five months, ever since they alleged police highhandedness while tracking down those responsible for the IED blast that narrowly missed Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s convoy in the Salboni area on November 2, 2008.
“Their (the PSBJC’s) activities have been noted”, Mr. Kanojia added.