Getting Away With Murder

Surrenders by three dreaded Maoist commanders has put the spotlight on the state government’s controversial rehabilitation policy

- Amitabh Srivastava

Everything was in place, it even looked a bit rehear­sed. On May 14, with the media in attendance, one of Jharkhand’s most dreaded Maoists, Kundan Pahan, 38, walked into the Ranchi residence of Chhotanagpur range DIG A.V. Homkar to lay claim to the Rs 15 lakh reward on his head.

His grey hair neatly dyed, dressed in a crisp new military green uniform, the five­foot five­inch tall ex­regional committee secretary of the CPI (Maoist) looked set for the obligatory photo shoot. “I surrender to repent. I take moral responsibility for the Maoists’ violence. The CPI (Maoist) has devi­ated, which saddens me,” Pahan said, waving his arms and speaking with the confidence of a politician. “I now wish to be a part of the government’s development process.”

Pahan’s surrender seemingly glosses over his criminal past—74 murders including those of Jamshedpur MP Sunil Mahato in 2007, JD(U)’s Tamar MLA Ramesh Munda and Bundu DSP Pramod Kumar in 2008. But even these pale before the horrific October 2009 kidnapping and beheading of special branch inspector Francis Induwar.

Induwar, 37, was kidnapped on September 30 that year in Khunti district by Pahan’s gang. He was tor­tured for six days before being killed and decapitated. Pahan now pins the blame on another dead Maoist. Nob­ody believes him.