In news coming in from the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, a local BJP leader, and another person has been arrested on the charges of supporting Maoist Naxals.
Jagat Pujari, the Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata party’s Dantewada district unit, and Ramesh Usendi were nabbed on Saturday after they were delivering a tractor to a hardcore Naxal. The Superintendent of Police of Dantewada Abhishek Pallava confirmed the news to an agency.
The inputs were given to the local police that senior cadres of the Abhujmaad area had provided money to the militia commander-in-chief Ajay Alami to procure somethings. Ajay Alami has been active in the Indravati area committee of Maoists. The police then intercepted cell phones and closely monitored suspects including the Vice-President of the BJP, Jagat Pujari. The Superintendent of Police said,
“On Saturday afternoon, police intercepted a newly-purchased tractor-trolley on Barsoor-Chitrakot route and rounded up Usendi, a native of Orchha area in neighboring Narayanpur district, when he was allegedly going to deliver the vehicle to Naxals.”
BJP Leader In Contact Since Several Months
During the interrogation of Usendi, he revealed that Lami had given him 4 lakh rupees to procure tractor and Pujari will help him along the process. Post that, Pujari was also arrested from Barsoor and later confessed to his involvement in supplying materials to the Maoist Naxals.
Apart from the tractor, there was some other agricultural equipment was also recovered. The Superintendent also revealed that the phone intercepts have indicated that Pujari has been in touch with the Naxals for several months now.
The two have been booked under the Chattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005. The superintendent also said that further investigation is underway. According to him, the Maoists have been short of ration especially after the announcement of the nationwide lockdown due to the novel Coronavirus. He guessed that the tractor they were trying to procure tractor as they might have decided to cultivate paddy in the interior forests.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s senior state leaders have been informed about the development and they are reportedly looking into the actions that should be taken against Jagat Pujari. Pujari was appointed as the Vice-President five years ago.
Source: India Today
