Kolkata: In their first strike after regime change in West Bengal, suspected Maoist sympathisers torched at least eight houses of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and activists in West Midnapore district on Thursday, police said.
"Eight houses of CPI-M leaders and supporters in Satghora and Aguboni areas of Jhargram sub-division were torched by the suspected Peoples` Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) members," said West Midnapore Police Superintendent Praveen Tripathi.
PCAPA is a pro-Maoist tribal outfit. Several members of the organisation were earlier arrested and booked for their alleged involvement in several unlawful activities.
Among the eight CPI-M leaders whose houses were torched, four are zonal committee members and another a local committee member. Three others are party supporters.
"We have arrested four PCAPA members for their alleged involvement in the case," Tripathi told a news agency over phone.
This is the first major attack by the pro-Maoists since the Trinamool Congress-Congress government of Mamata Banerjee took over the reins of the state last month after ending the 34-year rule of the communist-led Left Front.
IANS
