West Bengal unsure if seized laptop belongs to top Maoist

KOLKATA - The West Bengal government Thursday said it was not sure whether a laptop seized from a dense forest of West Midnapore district after a firefight with Maoists belonged to top rebel leader Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji.

“I can’t say anything now. The matter is being investigated,” state Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty told reporters here.

When asked about the ownership of the laptop, he said: “I won’t tell a lie. Unless we can decode the laptop and verify it, we won’t be in a position to tell you anything about this.”

West Midnapore police superintendent Manoj Verma claimed Wednesday that a laptop and a headphone seized from the jungle between Jitushol and Dumurpota under Kotwali police station belonged to Kishenji.