The Police arrested 12 persons for their alleged links with the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh on May 14, reports Outlook India. The arrested persons have been charged with supplying material for uniforms, shoes, wires, and walkie-talkie sets besides cash in lieu of being allowed to function as road contractors in the Bastar division. The Inspector General of Police (IGP), P. Sunder Raj, said that Nishant Jain, a resident of Bilaspur has been arrested for helping to provide material and other help to Maoists. The accused owns a contracting firm by the name of Landmark Engineering in Bilaspur and has nearly 25 Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) road contracts in Koylibeda, Aamabeda, Siksod, Raoghat and Tadoki areas in Bastar division.
Earlier, in March, Police, during vehicle checking in Kanker District arrested one Tapas Palit, who confessed that he had been supplying the material to Maoists. Police said that this had been going for two years and the material was being purchased from Rajnandgaon. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) found that contractors Nishant Jain, and Varun Jain of Landmark Royal Engineering, Rajnandgaon secured road contracts and had, through their subordinates – Ajay Jain, Komal Verma and Tapas Palit, been supplying the materials to Maoists. Two more persons – Mukesh Salam and Rajesh Salam were also arrested in this connection.