The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested a Maoist leader who has been absconding for 26 years from Prahladpur area. Kishun Pandit, an accused in the murder of a police officer and attack on three policemen in Bihar, was wanted. Pandit, with the help of his family members, had spread false information about his death to dodge the police.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Dheeraj Kumar said that Kishun Pandit is the leader of IPF ML, a Maoist organization operating in Bihar in the 1990s. He was arrested from Prahladpur in South-East Delhi by a team headed by ACP Abhinendra Jain, formed under the supervision of DCP Crime Rohit Meena. According to the police, the accused told them that in the 90s, rich landlords in Bihar used to oppress the poor, due to which Vinoba Mishra had formed the IPF ML group to fight against the landlords.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Dheeraj Kumar said that in the 90s, Kishun Pandit had joined the group of Male as the second-in-command of Patna district. During that time a person named Devendra Singh was the head of the Patna district organization in the group, which was murdered by unknown assailants in 1996. After the incident, when the police was taking Devendra’s body for action, Pandit along with his associates attacked the police team.
A police officer was killed in this attack. Pandit had also looted a rifle and 40 rounds after capturing Devendra’s body. Police said that after leaving Bihar, Kishun Pandit changed his identity to Sulander Pandit and started living in Faridabad. The police officer said that Kishun Pandit had spread false information about his death to dodge the police.
According to the official, several years ago a train going from Delhi to Patna had an accident, in which many people were injured. Pandit took advantage of this accident and instructed his family members in Bihar to spread the word among the villagers that he too had died in the same train accident. Even after the news that his family had performed his symbolic funeral, the police stopped his search.