Patna, Feb. 1: A week after the murder of two NGO activists, Sarita and Mahesh Kant, the CPI(ML) today said more women workers were under death threat in the disturbed Gaya-Jehanabad-Arwal belt of the state.

Sarita had been a CPI(ML) member before taking up NGO work in Shabdo village.

All India Progressive Women’s Association general secretary Kumudini Pati has petitioned the National Commission for Women, fearing that two zilla parishad members — Kunti Devi (Jehanabad) and Jamila Khatoon (Arwal) — could be killed. The association is the CPI(ML) women’s wing.

Pati said that while Kunti Devi had received death threats from the People’s Guerrilla Army, a unit of the People’s War Group, Jamila Khatoon had been getting similar calls from local criminals, who have also threatened to kidnap her daughter.

“Two-and-half-months after the killing of Manju Devi, of the Progressive Women’s Association, by (the) Ranbir Sena, a similar dastardly killing of two activists — one of them a woman, Sarita — has been masterminded by the Samman Yadav gang,” Pati said in her petition. “No arrests have been made so far. The chief minister has not cared to visit the spot and the state women’s commission has not taken cognisance of either case,” claimed the petition.

“This inaction, even to the extent of tacit support to criminals in Bihar, raises the question: Is it possible for social and political activists to continue with their fight for justice and do any good work in an atmosphere of terror? Is it not true that the government’s inaction has emboldened the criminals with mafia and private armies holding the entire state to ransom?” the association functionary asked.

Pati alleged that all killings in the region were being masterminded from Narhat and Bhawanipur villages, which are “strongholds of landed and feudal elements”, and a minister was involved in the planning “because of the rising popularity of these women activists”.

The association has urged the National Commission for Women to immediately intervene in the matter and get the culprits in both cases arrested so that the “forces of change” working in Bihar are not demoralised.

It has also demanded that the district magistrates and police superintendents of Gaya and Arwal be held accountable for the killings and dismissed for dereliction of duty.

“Security should be provided to social and political activists working at the grassroots level, particularly women, who are most vulnerable,” Pati said.