Prashant Bose also known as Kishan Da, the senior most leader of the banned CPI-Maosit outfit died at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences(RIMS) in Ranchi on April 3, Friday. The maoist leader was around 80 years old and was behind the bars since 2021 along with his wife Sheela Marandi for being a key accused in the Elgaar Parishad Koregaon Bhima case. A native of West Bengal, Prashant Bose is also said to be the mastermind behind the assassination attempt plotted against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The maoist leader thus posed a significant threat to internal security by conspiring many violent and anti-national activities.
In 2018, Prashant Bose was booked by the Pune city police as a key accused in the Elgaar Parishad Koregaon Bhima case. He was also booked for being a kingpin in the “Maosit communication” that aimed to kill PM Modi. As per the records of the Pune Police, a Maoist communication network was recovered from another accused called as Rona Wilson. The recovered recordings stated that Kisan Da(Prashant Bose) and many other senior comrades have presented concrete steps and plan to end the “Modi Raj”. The plot was apparently very similar to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Prashant Bose was the Secretary of Eastern Regional Bureau(ERB) of the banned CPI-Maoist radical group.
Elgaar Parishad Koregaon Bhima Case
Elgaar Parishad is a conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017. The conclave was organised to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Bhima Koregaon battle fought in 1818. In this battle, more than 500 Mahar soldiers along with the British East India Company fought against the Peshwas and won. Thus, the battle is deemed as a victory against caste domination. However, the Elgaar Parishad was funded and strategized by the banned CPI-Maoist outfit.
As per the Pune Police investigation, the speeches delivered at this conclave provoked the Koregaon Bhima violence on January 1, 2018. Thus, the activists of CPI-Maoist grouping who were the kingpin in delivering provocative speeches and triggering Bhima Koregaon violence were arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act(UAPA). The Pune Police arrested top Maoist leaders including Prashant Bose.
With respect to assassination attempt on PM Modi, the Chargesheet filed by the Pune City Police in the Special court in 2018 stated that Kishan alias Prashant Bose, Secretary of ERB of CPI-Maoist and other underground operatives hatched a conspiracy to kill the Prime Minister of India and also participated in the process of procurement of huge arms and ammunition as part of the larger conspiracy of waging a war against the democratic system and Indian citizens. The case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency(NIA) in January 2020.
In February 2024, NIA filed another chargesheet against Prashant Bose for attempting to revive CPI-Maoist activities in Jharkhand. Prashant Bose was thus a key and top most Maoist leader in the country who posed threat to national security for around four decades. He was admitted at the Ranchi hospital as his health deteriorated. Prashant Bose passed away in the hospital in the early hours of April 3, Friday.
