Acting on a tip-off by military intelligence, plainclothes policemen raided the house near Bapujinagar early in the morning. Police had also detained the landlord, Kartik Chakrabarty, for interrogation.

Officers of the Jadavpur police station raided the ground floor room of the two-storeyed building and seized a large number of CDs, video cameras and documents.

Of the seven, Maisnam German Singh and Maksha Terbam Gunindra Singh are believed to be frontline members of the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK). Their associates have been identified as K Suresh Singh, Souawni Sharma, M Rajita (wife of Gunindra), K Guota Devi (wife of Suresh Singh) and A Rita. One of three women is reportedly a well-known Manipuri film actress. All the suspected insurgents were aged between 27 and 30 years.

According to police, two of the seven were staying in the Bapujinagar house since December 2006, posing as traders. The others had joined them a month ago.

“We are ascertaining their antecedents and involvement in the activities of any militant organisation in north-east,” said Raj Kanojia, IG (Law and Order). Senior district police officers, including Parvin Kumar, SP, South 24-Parganas, Additional Superintendent of Police (Industrial) D P Singh, members of the CID and the Special Branch of the city police have interrogated them. The state police have contacted their Manipuri counterparts. Two SP ranked officers from will arrive tomorrow.