Days after losing eight members in an encounter with the security forces in Ranjha jungles, the 80-member Maoist squad has started regrouping. After the encounter, this squad, one of the largest Maoist squads in the Junglemahal, had disintegrated. The first meeting to chalk out a strategy to re-unite and reorganise the squad was
recently held at a remote village in Belpahari. Chaired by Asit Mahato, the meeting was attended by a top CPI(Maoist) state committee member, claimed police sources.
Killing of two persons in Jhargram — Nilkanth Mahato, 32, and Thakurdas Mahato, 50, and the abduction of a female CPI(M) supporter, Chunibala Rana, from Sarenga, both on Friday night, are considered to be a ruse of the armed rebels to divert the attention of security forces from the large squad.
“A day after the encounter, there have been reports suggesting Maoist movements in parts of Bankura, areas adjoining Jhargram, Belpahari, Lalgarh and Gwaltor. We suspect that the Maoists in these areas, who were not members of the squad in Ranjha, are making efforts to divide the police attention. That is why they kidnapped one from Sarenga and killed two persons in Jhargram,” revealed a CBI officer. “By extending their area of operation they are keeping the force’s attention divided, thereby providing the disintegrated squad a buffer period to regroup,” added the officer.
It is suspected that Sidhu Soren’s squad that operates on the Gwaltor-Bankura border is behind the abduction while the twin murders in Jhargram were carried out by some members of the Manickpara squad that was also involved in the train sabotage.
Manoj Verma, SP (West Midnapore) said, “The twin attack in Jhargram and Sarenga may be a tactical move of the Maoists. But in a few days we will be able to find present details of that squad.”
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Police says Kishenji hurt
Midnapore, June 19: Top Maoist leader Kishenji has been injured and hiding in West Midnapore district along with an associate and a woman leader, the police said on Saturday.
“Kishenji is hiding in the district and is injured. His associate Bikash and woman leader Tara are hiding along with him,” district SP Manoj Verma said.
Mr Verma, however, did not identify the exact location where they were hiding. Kishenji is believed to have been injured in a fierce encounter. —PTI