C'garh: BJP leader among 2 held for being 'Naxal supporters'

RAIPUR: A local BJP leader and anotherperson were arrested in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on the charges of being Maoist supporters, police said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Jagat Pujari and Ramesh Usendi (32), were arrested on Saturday after they procured a tractor to allegedly deliver it to a hardcorenaxal, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava said.

Pujari, a native of Barsoor village, is the vice president of BJPS Dantewada district unit, he said. After receiving inputs that senior cadres from Abhujmaad area had handed over money to Ajay Alami, militia commander-in-chief, active in Indravati area committee of Maoists, for procuring some things, police swung into action, he said.

Based on the mobile phone intercepts, police kept an eye on some suspects, including Pujari, in the area, he said. "On Saturday afternoon, police intercepted a newly- purchased tractor-trolley on BarsoorChitrakot route and rounded up Usendi, a native of Orchha area in neighbouring Narayanpur district, when he was allegedly going to deliver the vehicle to Naxals," he said.

During the interrogation, Usendi revealed that Maoist leader Alami had given him Rs 4 lakh to procure a tractor and told that Pujari will help him in the entire process, he said. Later, Pujari was nabbed from Barsoor. He confessed to his involvement in supplying various materials to the senior Maoist cadres in the region in the past, he said. Apart from the tractor-trolley, some other agriculture equipment meant for Naxals were also recovered from the possession of the two accused, he said.