Two pro-Maoist activists arrested

KOLKATA - Two pro-Maoist activists were Sunday arrested for their alleged involvement in the May 28 Gyaneshwari Express derailment in West Bengal in which 148 people were killed, police said.

People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) leaders Tapan Mahato and Altaf Hossen were arrested from Jhargram area, said Pravin Tripathy, the superintendent of police in Jhargram.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier announced a cash reward of Rs.5.5 lakh for information leading to the arrest of eight accused, including Mahato and Hossen.

The Mumbai-bound train ran off the rails near Jhargram after a portion of the tracks was sabotaged allegedly by the Maoists.

A speeding freight train then rammed into five derailed coaches of the Gyaneshwari, resulting in the casualties.