Following Chhattisgarh attack, Maoists taking refuge in Bengal

After being hounded out following a massive co-ordinated joint operation in Chhattishgarh where at least 28 congress workers were killed by the Maoists last month, a section of red rebels have taken shelters in West Bengal's junglemahal, police sources said.

According to intelligence input, a group of 45-strong Maoist ultras sneaked into the state's forest cover through the Bengal-Orissa border in West Midnapore district.

The group has reportedly entered through Nayagram and later spread across three districts - Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore in different modules. Sources said the team comprised about five senior Maoist leaders.

Recently a report has also been submitted by the state intelligence bureau to the home department following an instruction by the Union home ministry that sought latest reports on Maoist movements from insurgency-affected states.

The Central government has initiated a massive joint operation to flush out the rebels. West Bengal does not share any border with Chhattishgarh in particular.

The report said that that Maoist squad leader Ranjit Pal and Haladhar Gorai is looking after the organisational work of the CPI (Maoist) in Purulia district while Madan Mahato and Jaba Mahato is operating at West Midnapore's Belpahari region. There are inputs that the rebels might take refuge in and around the Ayodhya hills in Purulia district.

A team lead by Jayeeta Mahato is working in and around Jamboni and Maoist squad member Akash and Tara are responsible for its squad operation at Lalgarh in the same district (West Midnapore). Maoist leader Bikash is now operating in Bankura district, the report pointed out.

Interestingly, this was perhaps the first time Maoist activities significantly resurfaced post Koteswar Rao alias Kishenji's encounter in November, 2011 in state's junglemahal, an imaginary forested belt curved out of the state's three western districts - Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore. Maoist activities declined following Kishenji's death and some back to back joint forces' operations in the state. Many key Maoist squad members had also responded to the lucrative rehabilitation package dished out by the Mamata Banerjee-led state government and surrendered in past one year.

"We have stepped up vigils and other anti-Maoist activities in the region especially during the arrival of Monsoon as the rebels often choose to utilise this particular time to make safe inroads," said West Midnapore police superintendent Sunil Chowdhury.

Sources said as the state is going for Panchayat elections and the administration will mostly remain busy conducting polls-related exercises, the rebels will get enough time to evade the central forces' vigilance especially at the time of approaching monsoon in the state when the forests' green cover is likely to get dense.

Security for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other senior Trinamool leaders like Rajya sabha MP Mukul Roy, party MP from East Midnapore Suvendu Adhikari and Sisir Adhikari and former CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya have been stepped up following Chattisgarh massacre.