Kolkata/Midnapore: A rifle that had the
arsenal number of a weapon missing from Shilda after Maoist
attack on EFR camp was part of a huge cache of arms recovered
by police near a CPI-M party office in West Midnapore on Sunday
prompting the CID to probe whether there is any CPI-M link
to the massacre of 24 jawans.
"Among the arms recovered from Enayatpur is a INSAS
rifle whose arsenal number matches that of a rifle missing
from the Shilda camp since the attack. So the ADG CID has been
asked to take a relook at the case and see if there is a
CPI-M connection to the attack," state DGP Naparajit Mukherjee
told newsmen in Kolkata.
As many as 24 Eastern Frontier Rifles(EFR) jawans and
a civilian were killed in the Maoist attack last year.
Mukherjee also said that in another haul, 58 pairs of
camouflage uniforms, used by the security forces, were seized
from the CPI(M) office at Singda More under Patashpur police
station of East Midnapore district.
"The seizure was made after breaking the lock of the
office. A case has been registered by the East Midnapore
district police superintendent and the culprits will be
arrested soon," he said.
Mukherjee said the possibility of a CPI-M link to the
Maoist attack would be looked into also because Shilda and its
adjoining areas were under the party's dominance.
He said that besides the INSAS rifle, the haul from
under a mound of hay in Enayatpur comprised one AK-56 rifle,
eight .315 rifles, a US-made 30.06 rifle, one .375 rifle, 22
pipe guns and 136 rounds of ammunition.
The arms, wrapped in plastic, were spotted by
villagers who informed the police. Three days ago, 17 rifles
were seized from the same party office at Enayatpur, police
said.
In reply to a question, Mukherjee said that in the
event of any concrete proof of a CPI-M connection to the
Shilda attack, those responsible would be arrested.
Besides the haul at Enayatpur, about 5 km from West
Midnapore district headquarters town, 15 .315 rifles, three
long-range country-made arms, a long range cannon and 490
crackers were recovered from a field at Kesasole, also under
Kotwali police station in West Midnapore, he said.
Two muskets and 200 rounds of 12 bore ammunition were
seized from a field at Khamar under Rajarhat New Town police
station in North 24-Parganas district, Mukerjee said.
He said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed
all police superintendents to form district-wise committees,
comprising eminent citizens, to advise the police on law and
order maintenance and keeping social vigil.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, May 22, 2011, 22:02