Maoist squad member arrested in West Midnapore

KOLKATA - A Maoist squad member was arrested in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district Thursday, police said.

“Haren Pal was an active member of Communist Party of India-Maoists’ (CPI-Maoist) area commandant Madan Mahato’s squad. The squad was responsible for carrying out operations in Belpahari area of the district,” Jhargram Police Superintendent Praveen Tripathi said.

Haren was arrested Thursday morning during a joint raid by West Midnapore and Bankura district police in forest areas near the inter-district border. Haren was a resident of Barikul in Bankura.

“A looted licensed gun and ten rounds of bullets were recovered from him. The Madan Mahato squad was responsible for several subversive activities in area including killing, loot and damaging government properties,” Tripathi said.

He also said that an abandoned Maoist camp was located inside the dense Tamajhuri forest.

“The ultra left rebels might have left the camp a few hours before the raid. We have recovered several used utensils and garments which indicate that several Maoists cadres took shelter in that camp,” he added.

Meanwhile, a huge landmine planted below a culvert near Radhashyampur in Jhargram sub-division was defused Thursday by the bomb squad.

“A high intensity landmine was recovered and it was later defused by the bomb squad,” said Jhargram Sub-divisional Police Officer Sayed Waquar Raja.