SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, March 25: The BJP, which claims to be a ‘party with difference’, has picked up a don in the coal town of Dhanbad to contest the Lok Sabha elections.
Faced with as many as 33 criminal cases (click the link below), Mahto is set to rule Dhanbad, for the first time in the coal belt’s rich mobster history. Dhanbad was considered earlier a bastion of Rajput coal mafias.
List of cases pending against Dhulu Mahto_compressed
He has replaced three-term MP Pashupati Nath Singh. Soft-spoken and popular among electorates, Singh has been reportedly denied a ticket this time due to his age.
Dhanbad police submitted history sheet to Jharkhand HC
These cases are related to attempts to murder, arms and explosive Acts violations, assaulting government officials, and theft, among others. A complete list of cases was submitted by the Dhanbad police to the Jharkhand High Court in 2022.
After that, three more cases were lodged, the latest on March 8. The court gave him a clean chit in a rape case recently.
Latest FIR againt Dhulu Mahto_compressed
MLA from Baghmara
Mahto has represented Baghmara, an assembly constituency under the Giridih Lok Sabha seat, since 2009. From 2009 to 2014, he represented the constituency as a Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) MLA, then led by Babulal Marandi. He joined the BJP in 2014 and retained the seat.
A senior police officer of the district said that, according to a report submitted by the then senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sanjiv Kumar in the Jharkhand High Court, Mahto was facing 46 cases until February 2, 2022. The court has since given him a clean chit in several cases due to a lack of evidence.
Three more cases since 2022
Three more cases have been lodged against Dhulu Mahto until 2024 after the Dhanbad police submitted the list to the Jharkhand High Court on the directive. New cases were filed at Barora police station by Ashok Mahto, Kunti Devi, and Doman Mahto, as well as by the police at Jogta police station. Police have accused Dhulu of the Jogta incident.
Convicted in many cases
According to a senior district police official, Dhulu Mahto has been convicted in several cases. Most cases are in the appeal stage.
On October 9, 2019, the Sub Divisional Magistrate Court of Shikha Agrawal sentenced Dhulu Mahto to 18 months in jail for helping a warrantee flee police custody.
In 2018, the Court of SDJM Shashibhushan Sharma sentenced Dhulu Mahto and seven other persons to a one-year jail term for assaulting government officials and creating obstruction in discharging duty.
After a road accident, Dhulu Mahto blocked the road with supporters demanding compensation to the victim. When the Baghmara Block development officer (BDO) and the Baghmara police station officer in charge tried to clear the road, the MLA assaulted them and branded a pistol.
On February 25, 2016, the court of Md Umer sentenced Dhulu Mahto to 11 months in jail and seven others in a 10-year-old case.
However, the sentence term in all these cases was less than two years, which did not make Mahto ineligible for contesting elections.
Acquitted in rape case
‘On February 14, 2024, the BJP controversial MLA was acquitted in 9 years old rape case charge levelled by a BJP woman leader. The Special Judge of Dhanabad MP-MLA Court, Akhilesh Kumar, absolved him from the charge after the victim and her husband denied the allegation. The case had been filed against him in 2015.
Dhanbad social activist Bijay Jha expressed surprise over the BJP’s selection of a convicted leader for the Dhanbad Lok Sabha seat. “The BJP claims to be the largest party in the world, but, unfortunately, it did not find a clean leader for the Dhanbad seat,” he said.
Rise of Dhulu Mahto
Mahto’s rise has been spectacular. After completing his Intermediate in 1994, he joined the Sinidih Colliery of Bharat Coking Coal Limited as a labourer. Soon, he became the leader of the labourers who loaded the railway wagons and trucks at the colliery.
In early 2000, Samresh Singh, a minister in the Rabri Devi government in Bihar and then in Jharkhand, recognised Mahto’s ‘potential’ and made him head of the Tiger Force, a group which Singh had formed to collect ‘tax’ from the coal belt.
Seven criminal cases were registered against Mahto during his stint as the Tiger Force chief.
According to sources, Mahto controls Jogidih, Muraidih, Benidih, and the Nadkharchi mines, which the BCCL owns.
He allegedly takes a considerable quantity of coal at the floor price and sells it to companies belonging to his close aides. His supporters collect tolls from heavy vehicles at several centres in Dhanbad.
