A team of police officers from the East Singhbhum district will soon leave for West Bengal for interrogating CPI-Maoist leader Ranjit Pal alias Rahul (35). Rahul, who was wanted in about one-and-a half dozen Naxal-related cases, including the murder of former JMM MP, Sunil Mahto at Ghatshila in 2007, had surrendered before West Bengal police in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Revealing about the visit of East Singhbhum district police team to Bengal, the Senior Superintendent of Police Anoop T Mathew on Sunday said the team would interrogate Rahul in 17 cases out of total 18 cases pending against him in the Ghatshila, Dhalbhumgarh, Chakulia and Dumaria police stations.
"It is very important for us to probe.The police team will not interrogate him in conneciton with the MP Sunil Mahto murder case as it is being looked after by the CBI, but they will grill him over other cases including the one registered with the Ghatshila police station in August 2008 in which he is also wanted," said Mathew.
The police officer said Rahul was wanted in one of the cases registered with the Ghatshila thana on August 30, 2008 related to a landmine blast at Bhurudih in Ghatshila causing 11 policemen to die on the spot.
Notably, the 11 policemen were killed as they were on a surveillance mission at the rebel-infested Ghatshilaarea by travelling in an anti-landmine vehicle in August 2008.
Mathew said they have already compiled the cases pending against Rahul and they would submit a petition with a court in Bengal for granting permission to bring the rebel to East Singhbhum for trial in the local court.
The police officer, when queried, said though the case of MP, Sunil Mahto murder case was being investigated by the CBI, the team which would go to Bengal would also question the rebel leader in this sensational murder case.