The Ashok Mahto gang was a criminal gang in the Indian state of Bihar, led by Ashok Mahto and consisted of members such as Pintu Mahto.Ashok Mahto and his gang were responsible for the killing of a sitting Member of Parliament, Rajo Singh, in 2005. Although Ashok Mahto was imprisoned, he escaped from Nawada jail in 2002. Pintu Mahto killed three policemen during the prison break.The leaders of the gang are said to be belonging to either Kurmi or the Koeri Caste.But, it was supported by all the backward castes in the Nawada and Sheikhpura region as Mahto gang was in a war of retribution with the upper caste Bhumihars who were exploitative.Mahto and his gang were responsible for the assassination of a large number of Forward Caste people in late 90s.
Mahto - Singh rivalry
The rivalry between Mahto and another gangster Akhilesh Singh affected over 100 villages in the Nawada, Nalanda and Sheikhpura districts of Bihar. Between 1998 and 2006, the war which claimed over 200 lives in Nawada district alone, stemmed from caste conflict between the Bhumihars and Koeris. The clash between the two groups would decide power over the "stone-crushing" and "sand lifting" arrangements in the areas of rivalry.In 2003, the Mahto gang allegedly killed the father of a Member of the Legislative Assembly, Aruna Devi, and five others, including a six-year-old boy. It was reported that the killings were in retaliation for the deaths of seven labourers allegedly by the Akhilesh Singh gang. In 2000 they attacked the same MLA's house and killed over 12 people. The Mahto-Singh rivalry was not merely a rivalry between two gangs for supremacy but the mobilisation of castes in support of each of these two gangs was also taking place.During 2005 elections Aruna Devi, the wife of Akhilesh Singh was one of the candidate for legislative assembly elections from the region on the ticket of Lok Janshakti Party.According to one of her supporter, all the charges of murders and abductions upon Akhilesh Singh were frivolous and he had just taken up the arms to fight for the honour of his community i.e upper caste Bhumihars.Similarly, Ashok Mahto and his men were said to have taken over the responsibility to protect the rights of downtrodden Koeri community as well as other backward castes.Aruna Devi also faced opposition from Pradeep Mahto, a friend of Ashok Mahto, who also had several charges against him.Ashok Mahto was also responsible for killing a large number of upper caste people in the area which was famous for Sand mining and Potato cultivation.
Arrests and trial
The Ashok Mahto gang consisted of gangsters such as Pintu Mahto, who had nearly thirty cases of murder and kidnapping to his name, including the murder of three policemen and Congress politician Rajo Singh. Pintu Mahto was responsible for the Ashok Mahto gang in areas of Nawada district such as Warisaliganj and Sheikhpura.Besides this the Mahto gang also included the members like Sharda Yadav, who was convicted in massacre of 11 upper caste people at the Apshar village and was also convicted of loots and abduction.He was arrested in 2003 along with 9 other aides."Ariyari" Police also got success in arresting Bacchu Mahto, the sharpshooter of Mahto gang. Ashok Mahto himself was finally arrested in 2006, while he was on the way to court, the Bihar Police Special authority police officers carried out a procession in which half naked Mahto was dressed in garland of slippers with blood coming out of his lips.This incident sparked controversy and the backward castes of the region saw it as a punishment to the gangster which was meted out to him bacause of his dare to stand upto Bhumihars.Mahto enjoyed considerable support among backwards and thus his public humiliation aroused questions that can the Police humiliate an upper caste gangster in a similar manner. After his attendance in the court, Supritendent of Police Amit lodha claimed that Mahto had made a confession of his involvement in Rajo Singh murder case.Mahto however also claimed of his linkage with JD leader Rajeev Ranjan Singh or Lalan Singh.Meanwhile, he also pointed out towards his close ties with Chief MinisterNitish Kumar.These claims were not taken seriously by the Court and the Police.The oppositionRashtriya Janata Dal and Lok Janshakti Party pressed for CBI enquiry in the whole issue and asked Lalan Singh to resign.The Chief Minister himself was under pressure from the opposition. In 2013, a court of Sheikhpura cleared Ashok Mahto, Shambhu Yadav and Anil Mahto in Rajo Singh murder case.All these were convicted for the murder of erstwhile Congress leader of Sheikhpura but in the absence of evidence they were cleared.Presently, Ashok Mahto is incarcerated in Nawada jail.
Popular culture
Indian Police Service officer Amit Lodha was posted in Sheikhpura during the time of the arrest of Pintu Mahto. In 2018 he penned a book Bihar Diaries that doesn't name anyone directly, but media reports match the story to the life of Pintu Mahto.
