The main accused Kundan Pahan allegedly had killed over 75 people, including top politicians and police personnel
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will probe the nine-year-old murder case of former Jharkhand minister and Janata Dal (United) legislator Ramesh Singh Munda, who was allegedly gunned down by CPI (Maoist) men. The decision was taken by the Union Home Ministry after the main accused surrendered before the local police in Jharkhand under the Nayi Disha surrender policy. The main accused Kundan Pahan allegedly had killed over 75 people, including top politicians and police personnel.
Between 2005 and 2010, Jharkhand was rocked by a spate of killings allegedly led by Pahan, following which most of the politicians demanded a battery of security personnel.
Sources in the agency said they have registered a case at NIA police station in Delhi on Friday after Ministry of Home Affairs issued a direction to take up the case on June 28, this year. "We have registered a case under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 into the killing of Ramesh Singh Munda by the activists of CPI (Maoist), a proscribed terrorist outfit," said a senior agency officer.
The ministry referred the matter to the NIA after the family members of the deceased demanded a fair probe in the wake of main accused surrendering before Ranchi police in mid-May, triggering an outrage on how a state policy to rehabilitate rebels could cushion a murderer. Munda's son Vikas Munda, who is a legislator, had also staged a protest seeking capital punishment for Pahan who killed his father.
Interestingly, under the Nayi Disha surrender policy, Pahan will get Rs 5 lakh in three installments for rehabilitation and Rs 5,000 a month as stipend for vocational training for a year and more benefits based on how he behaves in the open jail where he will stay till trial ends.
The agency said that Munda was allegedly shot dead on July 9 in 2008. Two of his bodyguards, a party colleague and a student were also killed in the attack. Munda was delivering a speech at a school function at Bundu, located in Tamar, 50 kms from Ranchi, when Maoists sprayed bullets on him.
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