Kolkata: In a counter to the CBI, the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) on Friday released the names of nine top CPM leaders of West Midnapore, including a Cabinet minister, Sushanta Ghosh, as the men responsible for the Jnaneswari train derailment, reports The Indian Express.
The PCAPA, like the CBI, announced Rs 1 lakh reward for anyone who could capture these nine leaders dead or alive and bring them before the committee.
The PCAPA announced the names and reward following the CBI's move on Thursday to book its convenor Asit Mahato in the train crash case. The PCAPA also announced that it would boycott the CBI investigation into the Jnaneswari Express tragedy.
Manoj Mahato, a PCAPA leader, said, “We ourselves demanded a CBI probe thinking theirs would be a neutral investigation. But it seems that some of the officers recruited by the CPM are probing the matter. And that's why they have framed our chief Asit Mahato.”
“We will bring the real culprits in front of the people and they will be punished in a Kangaroo Court. We know who has done this. There were nine people who committed the crime. They are Sushanta Ghosh, Lakshman Ghosh, Dahareswar Sen, Hiraralal Mahato, Annuj Pandey, Prasanto Das, Arjun Mahato, Dhruba Sannigrahi and Manik Mahato,” said Manoj Mahato.
The outfit promised a reward of Rs 1 lakh for anybody who could capture these nine men and bring them to PCAPA leaders. “If the CBI can announce reward on our leaders, we can also announce money for anybody who can give any information about these people. We will collect the total amount of Rs 9 lakh by begging,” Mahato said.
The PCAPA will observe ‘black day' on June 23, 24 against the CBI move to ‘frame' Asit Mahato, added Mahato.
