Maoist-backed PCAPA leader Umakanto Mahato, one of the three prime accused in the Jnaneswari Express derailment case, was shot dead by securitymen in the early hours on Friday in the Mohanpur-Lodhashuli forest near Jhargram in West Bengal.
The CBI had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information leading to Umakanto?s arrest ? the Jnaneswari Express was derailed by the PCAPA on May 28, killing 148 people on board. Bapi Mahato, another prime accused, is already in CBI custody while Asit Mahato, the third main accused, remains at large.
Intercepts of phone calls between Bapi Mahato and Umakanto revealed that it was Umakanto who suggested removal of pandrol clips from the tracks to derail the Jnaneswari Express.
Acting on specific information about Umakanto, securitymen, led by Jhargram ASP (Operations) Mukesh Kumar, reached the Lodhashuli forest. Around 1.30 am, there was gunfire and the securitymen retaliated. The gunbattle went on for a couple of hours. After daybreak, securitymen began combing the forest and came across the body of Umakanto. A 9 mm pistol and a motorcycle was found, a police officer said.
?We had been receiving information on the movements of Umakanto for the last few days from villagers who wanted the reward money. We targeted Umakanto a few days ago while he was in Sonamukhi village but he managed to escape,? the officer said.
The pistol recovered from the spot belonged to an ASI of Jhargram police station who was one of three killed in Dubrajpur in 2008 during an attack, the officer said. The motorcycle belonged to Soumen Bhagat, panchayat pradhan of Kend Dengri village in Jamboni. Bhagat was killed by Maoists a month ago.
When this correspondent spoke to Umakanto near Lodhashuli forest last month, he said: ?I want to quit the CPI-Maoist and PCAPA. But if I do, they will kill me. And If I do not quit, the police will kill me.? He was keen to surrender, hoping to land a job in return.
In the Bankshol-Mohanpore area before 2007, Umakanto used to extort money from truck drivers passing through the National Highway near Lodhashuli. In 2007, he joined the JMM and a year later, formed a group that was given the job of protecting vehicles passing through the forest stretch at night. But there was trouble soon when members of the group fought over money.
Police records says Umakanto was arrested in June 2009 while blocking the highway near Lodhashuli and he was in police custody until January 2010.
