The West Bengal government has beefed up security in certain pockets of the state in trepidation that the tension over the killing of JMM MP Sunil Mahto.
KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has beefed up security in certain pockets of the state in trepidation that the tension over the killing of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP, Sunil Mahto, by Maoist guerrillas on Sunday might trickle across the border over to West Bengal.
Special security arrangements have been made in the three Maoist-troubled districts of Bankura, Puruliya and West Midnapore as well as at the proposed SEZ zone of Singur and at the JSW Steel’s plant project at Salboni in West Midnapore.
The extra precaution has been adopted after the state home department received two separation caution reports from the Union home ministry and the Intelligence Branch of the West Bengal police.
The Union home ministry, in its report, has clearly pointed out that Mahto was an ardent supporter of land acquisition for steel plants in the Maoist-infested Singbhum district of Jharkhand, which was apparently a major reason why he became the target of the Maoists.
The caution report adds that since related political tension prevails in West Bengal, Maoist guerrillas are likely to launch similar attacks on the influential people in the areas where these mega projects are coming up. The main targets of the Maoist guerrillas are political leaders of the region, bureaucrats and influential people directly associated with the industrial unit concerned and senior police officers deputed in the region.
The Intelligence Branch of the state police has also cautioned about possible Maoist attacks on VIPs at Singur and Salboni.
Maoist guerrillas had recently targeted the vehicle of the Hooghly police superintendent, Supratim Sarkar, who had a close save. Investigations revealed that the bullets were fired from a moving vehicle.
Apart from trained commandos of the state police, only Maoist guerrillas have the special skill to fire bullets in accurate targets from a moving vehicle.
In light of the two reports, the state government has enhanced security measures at Singur, where the Tata project is coming up and additional police personnel have been deployed along with enhanced monitoring of the roads leading to the project site.
Maoists claim hand in Mahto’s killing
The banned CPI-Maoist on Tuesday claimed responsibility for gunning down Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Sunil Mahto, saying he was shot dead to avenge the killing of 11 Naxalite cadres at Lango a few years ago. The claim was made in posters put up by CPI-Maoist at villages in Hadia and Lango areas under the jurisdiction of Ghorabandh police station, Superintendent of Police Pankaj Darad said on Tuesday. Mahto was shot dead in Ghatshila near Jamshedpur on Sunday, on the occasion of Holi, despite having ‘Y’ category security and special commandoes at his disposal.
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