Maoist Suchitra gives in
- Rebel was with Kishan at the time of his death

OUR BUREAU

Suchitra and her husband Prabir (to her right) and Mamata at Writers' on Friday. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Calcutta, March 9: Suchitra Mahato, the Maoist leader who suffered a bullet injury during the police operation in which Kishan was killed and who has 80-odd cases including murder and abduction against her, surrendered today.

Suchitra surrendered at the Intelligence Branch office on Lord Sinha Road this morning and was brought to Writers' to meet chief minister Mamata Banerjee, police said.

Around 3pm, Mamata walked out of her chamber with Suchitra, her newly wed husband Prabir Gharai and officials to hold a media conference.

"She was with the Maoists for a long time. She was a leader, a very important one. She had worked with (Maoist leader) Sasadhar Mahato. On February 25, she got married and wanted to return to the mainstream. This is a joint achievement of the government and my brothers and sisters (Maoists). This is a Holi gift," the chief minister said.

Suchitra's former husband Sasadhar was killed in an encounter with security forces on March 10 last year. Prabir is a Bankura resident who was involved in the 2009 Lalgarh movement.

Police sources said Suchitra had nearly 80 cases against her, including the attack on the Eastern Frontier Rifles camp in Shilda in 2010 that killed 24 jawans, abduction of former officer in charge of Sankrail police station Atindranath Dutta in 2009 and the killing of two polling officers the same year.

Officers involved in anti-Maoist operations told The Telegraph that Suchitra was "caught" two days after the death of Kishan in an encounter in Burishole forest on November 24 last year. "She was caught within two days of Kishan's death. The police admitted her to a hospital, where she was treated for a bullet injury in her waist," an officer said.

He said Suchitra "agreed to surrender" after the police assured her of protection. "We told her that if she refused to accept the offer, she would be shown as arrested. We also told her that if she got bail, the Maoists would not spare her as many of them suspect that she had passed on information about Kishan to the police."

The officer said Suchitra's surrender was "important" because she was the sole witness who could "confirm that Kishan was killed in a gun battle and not in a fake encounter".

Mamata said Suchitra would be given the rehabilitation package that the government offers to Maoists. The chief minister said the police "did not kill Kishan knowingly". "Ekta ghatana ghote gachhe (an incident took place)."

When reporters asked Suchitra about Kishan's death, Mamata intervened and said: "She suffered a bullet injury in her waist and is still unwell. The government will pay for her proper treatment."

Suchitra said: "I decided to surrender after Mamatadi's call to bring peace and development to Jungle Mahal. I want other Maoists to join the mainstream." She said she was at her village, Dhanshola in Lalgarh, in the past few months.

Her husband Prabir said Suchitra had surrendered for "many other reasons, not solely for the sake of development". "When she feels like speaking, she will."

Prabir, a resident of Ranahat village in Bankura's Kotulpur, was arrested in 2009 on the charge of having Maoist links. "His former wife Purnima was a Maoist squad member from Suchitra's village. She died of snakebite six months ago. Prabir joined Trinamul after last year's Assembly polls," an officer said.

Mamata said she expected more Maoists to surrender.

CPM leader Surjya Kanta Mishra said the surrender was a "drama".