Following a specific tip-off, the joint forces raided a Maoist shelter in the forest in which, according to the police, around 35 ultras including Kishenji had been hiding. However, Kishenji was tipped off about the operation and he fled the spot when the joint forces were a few kilometres from the shelter.

The police claimed to have recovered two folded tents, mattresses, pillows used by the elusive Maoist leader and his close aides apart from raw material used in making explosives. West Midnapore SP Manoj Verma said, “We have seized two motor bikes, arms and explosives in large quantities. One Buddheswar Mahato was arrested from the forest near the tents. During interrogation, he said Kishenji, along with 35 cadres, was staying there for the last two days.” Verma said besides raw material, including those used for 50 mm mortars, several letters written by Kishenji and other documents were also seized, which could provide good leads.

Meanwhile, the police claimed Prasanta Mahato, a resident of Baghdoba village and the alleged mastermind of the abduction of Sankrail O-C Atindranath Dutta, is under their custody for the last two days. He was arrested from Ajnashuli forest with a double-barrel gun, originally procured by a licence-holder N Mahato, who had deposited the gun at the Sankrail police station before it was looted by Maoists during last year’s attack.