Mahato bites TV bait,lands in net

The state government is now planning to slap the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or the UAPA on Mahato,who will be produced in a court tomorrow.

“There are no legal problems in booking him under the provisions of UAPA. He will be produced before a court tomorrow,” Chief Secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti said.

“Mahato has been arrested today. There are around 50 cases against him,including of murder,” said East Midnapore SP Manoj Verma,who is leading the joint Central-state operations in Lalgarh. Fearing an escalation of violence following Mahato’s arrest,security in and around Lalgarh has been beefed up.

POLICE PLANNED IT TWO MONTHS AGO
The entire operation was planned by the state police force over two months ago,when a plainclothes cop disguised as a Bengal-based correspondent of a Sinagpore-based international TV channel contacted Mahato. The policeman introduced himself as Anirban Roy and called up Mahato numerous times to take his views on Lalgarh-related issues. On two occasions,policemen posing as journalists even interviewed him.

“This was to gain his confidence. Fortunately for us,he did not check whether his interviews were aired. Our two-member team posed as reporters and cameraman of a fictitious Singapore-based news channel. For the past three months,we were monitoring the cell phone calls of local journalists who were in touch with Mahato,” said a senior police officer.

When the media-savvy Mahato was contacted for a third interview by undercover policemen,he confirmed the date and time of the interview.

Accordingly,this afternoon,the two-member police team,disguised as reporter and cameraman,went to the agreed location and met him near Birkar village in Kairasole jungles,about seven km from the Lalgarh police station.

As Mahato arrived,the cops started the interview but took him at gunpoint mid-way through it before escorting him out of the jungle where security forces surrounded him. He was taken to Lalgarh police station and interrogated for an hour. Later,he was whisked away to an undisclosed location.

Mahato spearheaded the 11-month tribal agitation backed by Maoists.

It was after the blast near the Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s convoy at Salboni on November 2,2008 that Mahato,backed by Maoists,formed the PCAPA and called for police boycott. He led the agitation which paralysed administration in the area.