After the arrest of People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) chief Chhatradhar Mahato, Asit Mahato, a farmer, is emerging as the new leader of the outfit and will probably be filling up the leadership vacuum in the PCAPA.

In absence of Chhatradhar, the senior members of the PCAPA in three districts — West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia — have decided to project Asit as their leader. And it was Chhatradhar who had directed the party to do so, says Santosh Patro, a PCAPA leader.

Accordingly, 31-year-old Asit has started gearing up to spearhead the movements in Jungle Mahal.

“After our leader (Chhatradhar) was arrested, for a few days we were left puzzled and perplexed,” says Asit. “We could feel a vacuum developing. But our leader resolved our dilemma. As per his order, all the senior leaders asked me to lead the committee until he comes back.”

A resident of Damuhani village near Lalgarh, Asit played an active role in uniting the villagers in Dharampur that was a red citadel since CPM zonal committee secretary Anuj Pandey ruled the area.

Chhatradhar Mahato, who broke all barriers and brought the villagers in Lalgrah and Binpur block under the PCAPA banner, could not make headway into Dharampur. It was Asit who allegedly led the mob that ransacked Anuj Pandey’s house and set it on fire.

Asit says he was never attached to any political party. “But I have seen what my father and my family had to go through for being attached with the opposition.” In 1998, Trilochan Mahato (65) was allegedly abducted by Anuj Pandey and his group for working with the Opposition.

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