Six Maoists nabbed from West Bengal

KOLKATA - Six ultra-left leaders and linkmen were arrested from West Bengals Maoist-affected Bankura and Purulia districts, police said Friday.

“Acting on a tip-off, security personnel late Thursday raided Paradihi forest in Bankura district and arrested Haren Sign Sardar - a member of a Maoist action squad active in Belpahari of West Midnapore district. A firearm and a few rounds of ammunition were recovered from him,” a police officer said.

“Haren was wanted in at least 21 cases, including nine murder cases in West Midnapore district. He was produced before the Jhargram court which remanded him to police custody for 10 days,” the police officer added.

In Purulia district, a Maoist action squad member and four linkmen were arrested after an extensive search in Arsha, Balarampur and Bagmundi areas of Ayodhya hills. Seven Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Forward Bloc leaders were killed in October by the radicals.

Purulia Police Superintendent Rajesh Yadav said: Basanta Maji, a member of Ayodhya squad and two linkmen - Kanu Majhi and Sasthi Charan Mahato - were arrested Thursday night. Two other linkmen - Gurupada Pathoria and Samar Majhi - were arrested Friday morning.

All the five arrested were produced before the local court where Basanta, Kanu and Sasthi were given 10 days police remand and other two were remanded to judicial custody for 14 days, said the police superintendent.

Meanwhile, states Director General of Police Naparajit Mukherjee and Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Zulfikar Hassan held a high-level meeting with the senior police officers of three Maoist affected districts - West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura - to revise new operational strategies.