Chhattisgarh police arrest local BJP leader for supplying a tractor to Maoists in Dantewada

The SP said that the accused was under suspicion for the last six months as he was earlier found engaged in supplying goods and other items to Maoists.

The Chhattisgarh police arrested a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader along with another person in Dantewada district for allegedly helping Maoists of Bastar region.

Both the accused purchased the tractor from Geedam (Dantewada) and when on Saturday, Usendi was going to deliver it to Ajay Alami; he was arrested in Barsoor.(FILE PHOTO.)

According to the police, the vice-president of BJP in Dantewada district, Jagat Pujari along with one Ramesh Usendi was supplying goods and other items to the Maoists of Abujmaad. They were arrested on Saturday.

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“The accused is a resident of Barsoor and is vice-president of the district unit of BJP. Ramesh Usendi was also arrested and the police have booked them under sections of the Chhattisgarh Jan Surakhsha Adhiniyam. More sections could be added during the course of investigation,” Superintendent of Police (SP), Dantewada, Abhishek Pallav told HT.

The SP further said that the accused was under suspicion for the last six months as he was earlier found engaged in supplying goods and other items to Maoists.

“Since Maoists are suffering from an acute crisis of ration during lockdown, they have decided to grow paddy in Abujmaad region. Subsequently, Maoists contacted Jagat Pujari and asked him to buy a tractor for them. The BJP leader told Maoists that he will not buy a tractor in his name because he will become the target of the police .A senior Maoist cadre, Ajay Alami, then told Pujari about Usendi, who will help him to buy the tractor and the tractor will be in Usendi’s name,” said the SP.

Both the accused purchased the tractor from Geedam (Dantewada) and when on Saturday, Usendi was going to deliver it to Ajay Alami; he was arrested in Barsoor.

“Usendi confessed that Pujari helped him in purchasing the tractor on the instruction of Maoist Ajay Alami and further investigation is going on,” said Pallav.

Meanwhile, district BJP President, Chaitram Attami speaking to Hindustan Times said that Pujari was appointed as district vice-president about five years ago.

“I don’t know the details of the case but action will be taken and a senior leader of BJP will convey it to him,” said Attami.