A grocer aged around 50 years was arrested Wednesday in Maoist-affected Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region for allegedly trying to supply 2,500 kg of Neelkanth scented rice, explosive materials, pamphlets and Maoist literature to the left-wing extremists. According to police, they received an intelligence input that Nirmal Jumde, of Cherpal village, was in touch with a senior Maoist cadre. He allegedly received money a week ago to supply the material to the cadres of the West Bastar division of the banned CPI (Maoists). Jumde bought the rice from the Bijapur market and instead of taking it to his shop, he allegedly took it further deep inside the forest in the Gangaloor area. The plan was to carry the material in a truck first and later in a smaller vehicle to the hidden Maoist stronghold, according to police. He is also alleged to have carried explosives given to him by another Maoist. “Jumde’s role was to supply it to another Maoist deep inside the forest, but we caught him and seized the material. The lower-rung cadres eat normal PDS rice and the high-quality rice is meant for senior cadres,” said a police official. Police said they seized 100 sacks of rice, eight detonators, 10 gelatin sticks, a two-metre wire, 100 Maoist pamphlets and literature from Jumde. The explosives are used for making IEDs. Police sources said Jumde might have committed the crime either under pressure or because Maoists had offered him more than the market price. An FIR has been registered against Jumde under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Explosive Substances Act. He was remanded in judicial custody by a court in Dantewada.
