Somen says his arrest won’t affect Maoist activities

KOLKATA, March 8: Secretary of the CPI (Maoist) state committee, Somen, was remanded in police custody for 12 days by the chief judicial magistrate of Purulia district court today in connection with the blast in a police camp near Bandwan in March 2005.
Speaking to the press at the court premises, Somen, said his followers would continue with the movement against the state machinery and his arrest would not affect the party's day-to-day activities.
Officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) brought Somen to Purulia from Dum Dum central jail this afternoon. Somen was produced before the magistrate Mr Jahir Ahmed who remanded him in police custody. Mr Sagar Mondal, the defence counsel, moved a bail petition for Somen, which was rejected by the magistrate. Mr Ahmed instructed the CID officers to produce Somen before his court on 20 March. Mr Mondal today complained before the magistrate that adequate drinking water was not supplied to his client in police custody.
A senior CID officer said, Somen had masterminded the blast the CPI (Maoist) rebels had carried out in a police camp near Bandwan on 8 March, 2005. The CID officers also suspect Somen had ordered the killings of former sabhadhipati of Purulia zilla parishad, Rabindranath Kar, and his wife at their residence on 30 December, 2006. SNS