Top Maoist leader held in Jharkhand

PATNA Top Maoist leader Prashant Bose alias Kishan Da has been arrested in Jharkhand along with his wife Sheela Marandi, a senior police officer said on Friday

PATNA

Top Maoist leader held in Jharkhand

Top Maoist leader Prashant Bose alias Kishan Da has been arrested in Jharkhand along with his wife Sheela Marandi, a senior police officer said on Friday.

According to the official, Bose and his wife were arrested between Jamshedpur and Saraikela Thursday evening while they were on their way to attend a “secret” meeting.

“Bose had suffered paralysis attack and he is unable to move anywhere on his own. His associates were taking him to a safe place but he was nabbed midway,” the officer said, requesting anonymity.

Bose, wanted in several criminal cases, is a senior leader of CPI (Maoist)’s central committee and is also the secretary of the outfit’s eastern regional bureau, which includes Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.

The official said Bose has been arrested for the first time and police were trying to work on leads provided by him during interrogation.

Police officers, however, are tight-lipped about the prized catch at the moment.

While Jamshedpur’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dr M Tamil Vanan denied Bose’s arrest in areas under his jurisdiction, Saraikela SP Anand Prakash said on phone said that he would be informed immediately in case Bose is arrested.

SM Khopde, additional director general (operations) in Bihar Police, said he came to know of Bose’s arrest from the media but had received no official information from Jharkhand police. In the last five years, no case had been registered against Bose in Bihar, Khopde said, adding that he was collecting information from districts concerned.

Bose hails from 24 Parganas district in West Bengal and his wife is also said to be member of the CPI (Maoist)’s central committee.