Pro-Maoist tribal held for Bengal train sabotage

KOLKATA - A pro-Maoist tribal, allegedly involved in the derailment of the Gyaneshwari Express May 28 in which 148 people were killed, was arrested in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district Monday, police said.

Superintendent of Police, Jhargram, Praveen Tripathi said: “The accused Laxmikant Roy was arrested from Muraboni village in Jhargram sub-division of the district.”

He was an active member of the pro-Maoists tribal body - People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), he said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the Gyaneshwari case issued a lookout notice against 11 accused, including Laxmikant Roy, and announced a cash reward of Rs.50,000 for providing information leading to his arrest.

The Mumbai-bound Gyaneshwari Express derailed after suspected sabotage by Maoists and was then hit by a freight train near Jhargram in West Midnapore district, resulting in high casualties.

Tripathi said: “Laxmikant, who was absconding since the accident, was arrested Monday noon following information provided by the villagers.”

“The villagers seeing the picture of Laxmikant, which featured on the CBI posters put up in and around the Junglemahal (Maoists-dominated forested areas of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura) informed the police that Laxmikant had taken shelter in Muraboni village,” he said.

“A joint raid by the state police and sleuths of the CBI was conducted in the area and Laxmikant was arrested,” said Tripathi.

With the arrest of Laxmikant, a total of 13 accused have been arrested in the case, said a CBI officer.

The CBI officer also said all the 13 accused arrested so far were active members of the PCAPA, which clearly indicated that the railway track sabotage was done by PCAPA members on instructions of the Maoists.

The Maoists are active in three western districts of the state - West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura.