Four Maoist cadres held in West Bengal

KOLKATA - Four Maoist activists were arrested Tuesday in West Bengal’s Burdwan district, police said.

They were arrested by policemen from Bankura district. Superintendent of Police Pranav Kumar said: “Four Left rebels including three squad members and one People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) member were arrested from Kirapura area near Assansol in Burdwad.”

“Three squad members were identified as Sombhu Hembram, Somay Hembram and Topan Soren. They are active members of a squad led by slain Sidhu Soren, the founder president of PCAPA’s militant wing Sidhu Kanu Gana Militia. They were active in Bankura and Goaltore area of West Midnapore district,” Kumar told IANS over phone.

The fourth accused was identified as Khogen Hembram. He was an active PCAPA member, police said.

All the accused are residents of West Midnapore, said the police chief.

“They were arrested following a tip off that the Maoist cadres were working in disguise of labours under the modernization project at at a steel plant at Burnpur in Asansol,” said a senior police officer.

The officer said all the accused were arrested early Tuesday by the policemen of Chatna police station in Bankura. The Maoists are active in three western districts of the state - West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia.