Ramesh Singh Munda murder case: NIA arrests two more in Ranchi

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency has arrested two persons – Prafull Kumar Mahto, 27, and Jai Ganesh, 37, in connection with the murder of JD(U) MLA – Ramesh Munda by CPI Maoist in Ranchi in July 2008.
Inspector General Alok Mittal said that their role had emerged in the larger conspiracy of the murder of Munda, his two security officers – Shiv Nath Minz and Mohammad Khurshid and one student Ram Dhan Patar on July 9, 2008 at SS High School in Bundu, Ranchi by armed cadres of CPI Maoists.
Sources said that Prafull Mahto was involved in the conspiracy since beginning and had also played a role in providing arms for the crime.
Earlier, the federal agency had arrested former Jharkhand minister Gopal Krishna Patar alias Raja Peter Singh – who had in 2009 defeated then chief minister Shibu Soren during Tamar bypoll in 2009. NIA had claimed that he connived with the naxals to eliminate his political rival Ramesh Munda.
Peter had joined BJP in 2014 but was denied a party ticket after which he contested the election as an independent candidate but lost. Munda and Peter were political opponents for long. Munda had defeated Peter in elections twice — in 2000 and 2005.
The agency had also arrested an assistant sub inspector (ASI) of Jharkhand Police – Sheshnath Singh for allegedly passing on the information about movement of Munda, using which Maoists killed the legislator while he was delivering a speech at SS High School.
Munda murder case investigation was given to NIA earlier this year after dreaded Maoist leader Kundan Pahan surrendered before the police under the Nayi Disha policy. Pahan was involved in several attacks in Jharkhand since 2005 in which over 75 people were killed including top politicians and police officers.
Munda's son Vikas Munda, who is a legislator, had demanded probe by a central agency after Pahan's arrest and had staged a protest seeking capital punishment for Pahan who killed his father.