KOLKATA: Kanchan, the Communist Party of India-Maoist state secretary and one of the top Maoist leaders after Kishenji, along with four of his associates, were arrested by the Special Task Force of Kolkata Police.
Sudip Chongdar alias Kanchan alias Batas, who is also the Central Committee member of the party, was wanted in several cases of sabotage and murder.
Chongdar was one of the prime accused in the landmine blast allegedly triggered by the Maoists on Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s convoy at Salboni on November 2, 2008.
Joint Commissioner, Special Task Force, Rajiv Kumar told media persons on Saturday that while they had arrested two state committee members — Anil Ghosh, and Barun Sur — on Friday night along with Kanchan, another state committee members Kalpana Maity alias Anu was arrested on Saturday from Howrah Station. The police also arrested Maoists activist Shankar Mallick along with Kanchan.
The Joint Commissioner also said that after interrogating the arrested Maoists, the police raided five places and recovered a huge quantity of foreign made sophisticated communication devices, timer devices, laptop, detonator, ammunition and Maoist leaflets.
“We will find out the motive of the Maoists for keeping such huge quantity of communication devices,” he said.
The police had already arrested two other important Maoists leaders -- Telegu Dipak, a state committee member, and Himadri Sen Roy, party’s state committee secretary.
Kanchan was elevated to the post of state unit secretary of the party after the arrest of Himadri Sen Roy in 2008.
According to the police, the arrested Maoist activists were produced before the Magistrate of Bankshall Court on Saturday. The Magistrate remanded them to police custody.
SILDA MASTERMIND HELD
The Midnapore police also arrested another Maoists squad member Kajal Mahato from Salbani on Friday night. Acting on a tip-off, the police raided a bus near Pathar Kumkumi area and arrested Kajal.
The police said that Kajal had masterminded the attack on a Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) camp at Silda in West Midnapore district in February and killed 24 EFR personnel and a civilian.