COOCHBEHAR NEWS

2 Maoist inmates shifted to hospital

COOCH BEHAR, April 2: Two Maoist undertrial prisoners have been shifted to MJN Hospital last night. They are Ajit Chakraborty and Ratan Roy. They were on hunger strike inside Cooch Behar District Correctional Home (CDCH) since Sunday demanding status as political prisoners.

It was learnt that Ajit Chakraborty alias Tyara Master was provided with the political prisoner status but Ratan Roy is yet to be treated as a political prisoner. The two Maoist activists started hunger strike since Sunday. The jail authorities failed to convince them to take food.

As the two Maoists' health condition worsened last night they were shifted to MJN Hospital, said Cooch Behar SP Mr DP Singh. Cooch Behar CMOH Dr Radha Raman Banik said proper medical aids have been arranged for the two. A medical team is keeping watch on their health, Dr Banik said.

Police said Ajit Chakraborty alias Tyara Master (69), a resident of Diamond Harbour, was engaged in different political activities in north Bengal on behalf of his organisation, COC-CPIML (2nd CC). In 1981 a case of sedition was brought against him in Jalpaiguri. There were several cases against him in Cooch Behar district too. During trial of the cases he was in Cooch Behar District Jail but he managed to escape from there with five others on 16 May 1985. The police nabbed the Naxilite leader from Hanskhali in 24 Parganas on 3 April 2008. Police produced him at a Cooch Behar court on 23 July 2008 and since then he was in the CDCH.

Mr Ratan Roy, stated to be a hardcore Maoist activist, was arrested from Mansai under Baxirhat police station in Cooch Behar on 29 January of this year. He has several take-names like Sahidul, Prakash and Bangtu. Police said Mr Roy had undergone arms training in East Singbhum of Jhargram in 2006-2007. It is suspected that he is associated with Maoist activities in different areas of West Bengal and Jhargram. Earlier, he had been arrested in Alipurduar in 2005 in connection with a case. He is a resident of Alipurduar sub-division of Jalpaiguri. 

 

ASP killing : Bangshi produced in court

COOCH BEHAR, April 2: Forty-five 'Greater Cooch Behar' activists including Mr Bangshi Badan Barman were produced in the court of district and sessions judge, Mr KYS Manhas inside Cooch Behar District Correctional Home today. During the hearing of a case related to the murder of an ASP, a witness was cross-examined but he was declared hostile by the government side. Public Prosecutor Mr Ganesh Chandra Roy Karmakar was on the government side while Mr Shibendra Nath Roy stood on the side of the accused.