NIA Seeks Custody Of Trinamool Congress Leader Chhatradhar Mahato. (FILE)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday prayed for the custody of Chhatradhar Mahato, a former leader of the Maoist-backed People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), before a special court.
The agency prayed for custodial interrogation of Mr Mahato and four others in connection with the killing of a CPI(M) leader in 2009 in Lalgarh, which was a hotbed of Maoist activities in the Jangalmahal region of West Bengal.
The NIA has accused Mr Mahato, now a TMC leader, under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, apart from waging war against the country.
NIA special court judge Prasenjit Biswas directed that the hearing in the plea will be taken up on Monday.
Mr Mahato failed to appear before the NIA court, which had summoned him along with others, complaining of illness.
Mr Mahato's lawyer Kaushik Sinha said the petition seeking his was filed by the NIA on August 26 but a copy of the same has not been served to his client. He, therefore, prayed for time which the court granted.
Mr Sinha also said that Mr Mahato has been admitted to a Kolkata Hospital and will undergo a COVID-19 test tomorrow.
He was released from prison in 2019 after having served a 10-year sentence in connection with an abortive bid on the life of the then chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in 2008 and several other cases of bombing and landmine blasts.