PC alerts state on Maoist

The Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, has alerted the AP government on the bail granted to the CPI-Maoist central committee member, Thusharkanth Bhattacharya, who is lodged in the Cherlapally jail.

Mr Chidambaram on Monday called on the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, to ensure that the state police keep a close watch on Bhattacharya as he is wanted in other cases in Maharasthra, UP and W. Bengal.

The Chief Minister immediately talked to the director-general of police, Mr Girish Kumar, and instructed him to comply with the advice of the Union home minister.

The state government would want to avoid repeating the embarrassing experience of the Maoist central committee member, Malla Raji Reddy, jumping bail in October 2009 and rejoining the Naxalite movement. Reddy is now believed to be taking an active part in West Bengal Naxal affairs. Thusharkanth Bhattacharya, alias Srikanth, is an accused in the Tappalapur village raid case of 1976 in which four persons were killed. He has been in the jail for two years and has now got a bail.

Earlier, Bhattacharya was acquitted in three other cases in Warangal. He also has cases against him in Bihar where he was arrested two years ago from the Dujra area in Patna.