SUSPECTED MAOISTS KILL JHARKHAND LEGISLATOR

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000206

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC PTER PGOV PHUM IN
SUBJECT: SUSPECTED MAOISTS KILL JHARKHAND LEGISLATOR

1.(SBU) Summary: On Wednesday July 9, former Jharkhand minister
and sitting Janata Dal (United) legislator (MLA) in the State
Assembly Ramesh Singh Munda was shot dead by about a dozen
suspected Maoists. Three of his bodyguards and a student were
also killed in the attack which was carried out in a local
school in Bundu where Munda was the chief guest at a prize
distribution ceremony. Bundu is situated 60 kilometers
southeast of the Jharkhand capital, Ranchi. Since 2005, Munda
is the third top politician in the state, after Jharkhand Mukti
Morcha's (JMM) Member of Parliament (MP) Sunil Mahto and
Communist Party of India - Marxist-Leninist MLA Mahendra Singh,
to be killed by suspected Maoist rebels in Jharkhand. End
summary.

2.(U) On July 9, former Jharkhand cabinet minister and sitting
Janata Dal (United) legislator (MLA) in Jharkhand State
Assembly, Ramesh Singh Munda, was allegedly shot dead by about a
dozen suspected Maoists. Three of his bodyguards and a student
were also killed in the attack that was carried out when Munda
was delivering a speech in a prize distribution function at a
local school at Bundu. Incidentally, the school falls in the
Tamar Assembly constituency, about 60 kilometers southeast of
the Jharkhand capital of Ranchi. Munda, who was the chief guest
at the function, had represented the constituency twice since

2000.

3.(SBU) A senior police official in Jharkhand informed Congen
that they were investigating the case. The suspected Maoists
fled the scene after the incident and no arrest has been made so
far. The police source added that due to security reasons,
since 2007 all ministers and legislators have been instructed to
keep the local police stations informed about their movements.
He added that the suspected Maoists opened fire with
semi-automatic weapons from close range. Media sources revealed
that in 2005, the Jharkhand Police intelligence had taken note
of Ramesh Singh Munda (then a minister in the Arjun Munda's
National Democratic Alliance government),and that he was on the
hit list of the Maoists because he had not paid half of the
amount he had promised them for securing their support during
the Assembly polls in 2005.

4.(SBU) Munda was also the leader of JD (U) legislature party in
the Jharkhand Assembly. He is the third top politician in
Jharkhand, after Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's (JMM) Member of
Parliament Sunil Mahto and Communist Party of India -
Marxist-Leninist legislator Mahendra Singh, to have been killed
by suspected Maoist rebels in Jharkhand. In January 2005 Singh
was killed while addressing a public meeting, while Mahto was
targeted by the Maoist rebels in March 2007 when he was busy
distributing prizes at a local football tournament (2007 Kolkata
074).

5.(SBU) Comment: Attack on senior Jharkhand politicians by
Maoist rebels during public functions seems to be a common modus
operandi in Jharkhand. According to media sources, the killing
could be in retaliation for unfulfilled promises made by the
politicians to the Maoists during the elections. The incident
also highlights the continuing poor security situation in much
of Jharkhand. In the 26 districts in the state of Jharkhand, 18
are considered to be infested by Maoists, and the state
government has yet to draw up an effective plan to contain the
rebels.

KELLY