Naxal Shakuntala Mahto Alias ‘pushpa’ Carried Rs 10 Lakh Bounty
Key Points:
- Shakuntala Mahto surrenders after years on the run
- She was main accused in former MP Sunil Mahto’s 2007 killing
- Sent to judicial custody following legal procedure
JAMSHEDPUR – Shakuntala Mahto, alias “Pushpa,” the main accused in the murder of former Jamshedpur MP Sunil Mahto, surrendered to authorities after evading capture for years. Security agencies had placed a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on her as a wanted Naxal operative. Police and central agencies had been searching for her for several years before her surrender. Following the surrender, she was sent to judicial custody as part of legal proceedings.
Mahto’s name had first surfaced in connection with the 2007 killing of Sunil Mahto, the former MP, during an event organised at Ghatshila’s Badabanki football ground. Several people, including two of his bodyguards, were also killed in the attack. She went underground afterwards and remained active in Naxal-related activities for years.
According to available information, Mahto attempted to live an ordinary life under a new identity in Kolkata, West Bengal, during the period she remained on the run. She reportedly sustained herself by working in cylinder supply and domestic gas distribution in the city. However, sustained surveillance and mounting pressure from security agencies eventually led her to decide on surrendering.
Her surrender is being regarded as a significant development in connection with the Sunil Mahto murder case and the broader anti-Naxal campaign in the region. Police and intelligence agencies are now working to gather crucial information from her regarding the case and her activities during the years she remained underground.
Surrenders by long-wanted Naxal operatives carrying substantial bounties have been reported periodically across Jharkhand in recent months, as security agencies continue operations against remaining Maoist networks in the state.
