Follow Bihar model on seizing Maoists' property, states told

The union home ministry has asked Maoist-affected states to follow Bihar's model of confiscating the property of rebel leaders, officials here said Saturday.

The home ministry has been impressed by Bihar's implementation of the measure and asked other states to emulate it.

"The union home ministry has directed all the Maoist-affected states to confiscate the property of Maoist leaders under Section 25 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967," said an official in the chief minister's office.

Home ministry official Dipak Kumar Kedia sent the order to chief secretaries, police chiefs and nodal officials looking after Maoists in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattishgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal and Bihar.

All these state were asked to collect information about bank accounts and property of Maoist leaders to start the process of confiscation.

According to police officials at police headquarters here, Bihar was the first state to begin the process.

"Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had informed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the confiscations at a meeting of chief ministers of Maoist-affected states in New Delhi," said a police official.

State Director General of Police Abhyanand told IANS over telephone that they have already began process to confiscate property of 23 Maoist leaders following an order by Home Secretary Amir Subhani.

"Superintendents of police in Maoist-affected districts have been to submit a report of assessment of property of Maoist leaders," he said.

Last month, police confiscated some land of Maoist leader Adhiklal Mandal in Munger district, acquired through illegal means.

Police officials said hardcore Maoist leaders have accumulated huge properties through extortion from proprietors of several private construction companies engaged in building roads and bridges and engaged in other development works in rural areas of the state.