Five Maoists arrested in West Bengal

KOLKATA - In a major boost to anti-Maoist operation, a Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal arrested five Maoists including a senior rebel.

Three top leaders and a Maoist supporter were nabbed from Maidan area in Kolkata, and another state committee member was picked up from Howrah railway station.

“Sudip Chongdar (CPI-Maoist state secretary) and his close associates and state committee members Anal Ghosh alias Ajoyda and Burun Sur alias Bidyut, and another supporter Bimal Ghosh alias Shankar were arrested from Maidan area,’ Kolkata Police’s Additional Commissioner-II and STF chief Rajeev Kumar said.

“Another member Anu alias Kalpana Maity was arrested from Howrah railway station,” Kumar added.

Though no heavy arms and ammunitions were recovered by STF however, it seized sophisticated foreign made communication devices including wireless sets, voice control operating systems and antennas.

The arrested rebels were produced before a court on Saturday and were sent to police custody for the next 10 days.

Sudip was wanted in several cases of sedition and sabotage. He was also one of the prime accused in the landmine blast allegedly triggered by the Maoists on Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s convoy at Salboni November 2, 2008. (ANI)