February 9, 2011
Cop’s plea for custody rejected by court

Kolkata, Feb 8: The West Bengal Police again lost its credibility when the Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Midnapore today rejected the plea moved by the police to extend the remand of Amiya Mahato and Asim Mahato. The two were arrested for their alleged involvement in Maoists activities from a camp for homeless families at Midnapore town on January 31. Public prosecutor Sushil Chakraborty pleaded the police recovered a diary, posters and few papers kept in a polythene bag from a bush at Jamda village in Salboni police station. Chakraborty urged the court to allow the police to take them in its remand as interrogation may lead to arms recovery. On February 3, the police had appraised the court that after interrogating the two, one AK-47 rifle and ammunition were recovered from a forest near Kanyabani forest in the Salboni police station. Advocate Mrinal Chaudhury, counsel of the two, pleaded that it was difficult to believe the police statement of recovery of diary and papers in a bush at a forest which was far away from Midnapore town.