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National
‘Top Maoist leader behind Silda attack'
Indrani Dutta
KOLKATA: Top Maoist leader Bikash is believed to have been in the vanguard of the attack on the Silda police camp in West Bengal where lack of alertness had made the jawans at the Easter Frontier Rifles easy targets, investigations have revealed.
In one of the biggest attacks in Maoist-affected areas in the country, 24 Eastern Frontier Rifles jawans and another person was killed in the incident in mid-February. The State government has decided to recommend police medals for four of its men, of which three would be posthumous. The list includes three EFR jawans, one of whom survived the attack and the officer-in-charge of the Sarenga police station.
West Bengal Director-General of Police Bhupinder Singh said here on Thursday that information gathered during investigations and from people arrested after the incident has revealed that sophisticated weaponry including AK 47 rifles were used in the attack for which at 60 rebels had assembled in the Belpahari and Binpur areas. He said the frontal attack was mounted by some 30 people who came in three vehicles with some hiding in a public washroom opposite the camp.
“They used small weapons”, he said, adding that at least two months of planning had preceded the attack. Five Maoists were also believed to have been killed in the attack.
While admitting that there was lack of alertness, Mr. Singh declined to comment on whether there was an intelligence lapse too. It may be recalled that this was mentioned by the then Home Secretary Ardendhu Sen who had said that some intelligence inputs were received an hour before the attack. The inquiry committee set up by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee a week after the attack was also tasked to probe this aspect among others.
The three-member panel submitted its report in end-April. Mr. Singh, however, said he has not seen the report. Mr. Sen, who is now the State's Chief Secretary, too has been tight-lipped about the recommendations and findings of the committee .
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