Bastar Police in Chhattisgarh arrested 12 people alleged to be part of a group of Maoist supporters with urban links. The arrested have been charged with supplying material for uniforms, shoes, wires, and walkie-talkie sets besides cash in lieu of being allowed to function as road contractors in the Bastar division.
Inspector-General of Police (IG) Bastar, P Sunder Raj, told India Today TV that Nishant Jain, a resident of Bilaspur has been arrested and booked under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for helping to provide material and other help to Maoists.
Nishant Jain owns a contracting firm by the name of Landmark Engineering in Bilaspur and has nearly 25 Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) road contracts in Koylibeda, Aamabeda, Siksod, Raoghat and Tadoki areas in Bastar division.
In March, police, during vehicle checking in Kanker district had found a car that had material for uniforms, shoes, wires, medicines, and cash in it. Tapas Palit, the man driving the vehicle was arrested and had confessed that he had been supplying the material to Maoists. Police said that this had been going for two years and the material was being purchased from Rajnandgaon.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) found that contractors Nishant Jain, and Varun Jain of Landmark Royal Engineering, Rajnandgaon secured road contracts and had, through their subordinates, Ajay Jain, Komal Verma and Tapas Palit, been supplying the materials to Maoists.
Two more people, Mukesh Salam and Rajesh Salam were also found to have been involved.
Police said that the Maoists did not bother the contractors with their works in exchange for the material and financial help. As a result, the contractors took up quite a few projects in the area.
During interrogation, the contractors and their employees said that they did not have a choice and had to give in to the demands of the Maoists to work in the region.
“That is the defense contractors usually take,” IG P Sunder Raj said.
