Anti-Maoist operations heat up in Junglemahal

Kolkata: Joint security forces today carried out searches and raids in Purulia and West Midnapore districts of Junglemahal in West Bengal and seized a huge quantity of arms and explosives. Two Insas rifles, 100 rounds of AK47 and Insas rifle ammunition, 60 kg of explosive materials, mines, gelatine sticks and fuse wire were seized from Purnapani, a area between Salboni and Lalgarh police stations in West Midnapore district, police said.[caption id=“attachment_132561” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Asit Mahato. PTI”]  [/caption] District superintendent of police Praveen Tripathy said the searches followed the questioning of PCPA convenor Asit Mahato who was arrested from Gorneta village on 13 November. Mahato, the prime accused in the Jnaneswari Express train disaster carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, was arrested following information provided by five arrested Maoists. On Tuesday, 200 rounds of ammunition, 13 country-made rifles and 85 kg of explosive powder were seized from Berabagdorha in Kotwali police station area by the joint forces in the same district, police said. In Purulia district, the joint forces under superintendent of police, counter insurgency forces, Manoj Verma, were searching for the Ayodhya squad of the Maoists who allegedly killed two Trinamool Congressmen Ajit Singh Sardar and his son Baku Singh Sardar at Ghatbera on Monday night, while two ultras were killed in a subsequent encounter. Searches were also made at Balarampur, Arsa, Bagmundi and Bandwan police station areas, police said. PTI