Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed National Investigation Agency (NIA) to forward to the state advocate general a copy of its appeal challenging a lower court order restraining the agency from arresting Chhatradhar Mahato, in connection with the murder of a CPI(M) leader in 2009 in West Midnapore district.
Mahato is a former leader of the Maoist-backed People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA).
A division bench directed that a copy of the papers should be forwarded to the office of the advocate general for the state to be represented in the matter.
The bench comprising justices Sanjib Banerjee and Aniruddha Roy said that the matter will come up for hearing after one week.
A special NIA court here had on November 18 directed Mahato to appear before it on December 18 and had said that the NIA would not arrest him in the meantime.
The agency had moved the special NIA court seeking orders for custodial interrogation of Mahato in connection with the killing of the local CPI(M) leader at Lalgarh, once a hotbed of Maoist activities in Jangalmahal area of West Bengal, in 2009.
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Mahato had failed to present himself before it on November 18 as per its earlier direction in connection with the case.
He had failed to appear before the court on at least four earlier occasions claiming illness.
The NIA has accused Mahato under various sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, apart from waging war against the country.
Mahato was released from prison in 2019 after having served a 10-year sentence in connection with an abortive bid on the life of the then West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in 2008, and several other cases of bombing and landmine blasts.
PTI
