Kishenji aide, three other Maoists arrested

KOLKATA - Four top Maoists, including one who was wanted for the 2007 killing of Jharkhand MP Sunil Mahato and is a close aide of rebel leader Kishenji, were arrested in West Bengal Friday, police said.

The Maoists were identified as Rajesh Munda, Rajesh Hansda, Mongol Soren and Gopinath Mandi. “The four hardcore Maoists were arrested from Pitrakuli area near Ranjha forest in Salboni,” said Zulfikar Hassan, inspector general of police (Western Range). Salboni is in West Midnapore district.

Police say they were responsible for carrying out operations and expanding their bases in Jharkhand and used to often come to Bengal for their activities, police said.

Rajesh Munda was a top Maoist and known to be a close associate of Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji, politburo members and the military chief of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist).

“Rajesh Munda was the prime accused in Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Sunil Mahato’s murder case in March 2007. He was also booked in several cases in Bengal like abduction of Sainkrail officer-in-charge Atindranath Dutta and the bloody attack on Silda Eastern Frontier Rifle (EFR) camp Feb 15, in which 24 jawans were killed,” said a senior police officer.

“All the four rebels were arrested by the joint forces personnel during their routine raids in the forest areas early Friday. Arms and ammunition was recovered from them,” said Hassan.