School teacher arrested for being Maoist 'supporter' in Chhattisgarh; villagers stage protest

NEW DELHI: A 25-year-old school teacher has been arrested for allegedly being a Maoist supporter in Chhattisgarh's Mohla-Mapnur-Ambagarh Chowki district, police said on Sunday. Angered by the arrest, a group of villagers, including school children, have launched a protest in front of a police station here, demanding his release. Ramlal Nureti was arrested from Karekatta village under Madanwada police station limits on Saturday, an official said.

The man was allegedly involved in putting up Maoist banners and posters in the area in September last year, he said. The accused, a resident of Mahka village under Sitagaon police station area, works as a guest teacher appointed on a contractual basis at the government primary school in Karekatta village. On September 15 last year, the police recovered posters and banners from Madanwada area wherein Maoists appealed to observe the 19th anniversary of the outlawed movement, he said.

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Investigations revealed Nureti’s involvement in the act and police personnel kept an eye on him, the official said. The investigations and technical evidence confirmed the accused’s involvement in the offence, following which he was apprehended by the Sitagaon police, he said. During questioning, Nureti tried to mislead the police but later admitted to putting up Maoist posters and banners, following which he was arrested under provisions of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005 and produced in a local court, the official said.

The accused has been sent to Rajnandgaon district jail, he added. Meanwhile, villagers sat on dharna in front of the Sitagaon police station, demanding his release. "We will continue our demonstration till Nureti is released. He was arrested from the school without any investigation.

He is a school teacher, not a Naxalite," a protester told reporters. School children joined the agitation on Sunday, and protesters blocked the Manpur-Aundhi and Madanwada-Sitagaon roads using tractors. A large number of police personnel have been deployed at the protest site.