“Undoubtedly it (the arrest of Nanda) is a major success, and it would help to trace the base of the Maoists in the Ayodhya hills,” said Rajesh Yadav, Superintendent of Police (Purulia).

The police arrested Nanda Kumar and his close aide Bhabataran Mahato, a maoist squad member, from Ayodhya hills near Bagmundi police station on Wednesday noon. The police also arrested other three persons, members of ‘Ganamilitia’ — frontal organisation of the Maoists outfit.

A bag containing small fire arms and documents of CPI(Maoist) was recovered from Nanda Kumar, said Yadav. Yadav said that during interrogation Nanda Kumar have disclosed some important things, which need to be verified.

The police had set up traps at different places in the area to nab Nanda and his associates based on specific intelligence inputs. According to a police source, they were arrested from three separate places in the hills. All the five persons were produced at the CJM court in Purulia on Thursday and were remanded in police custody for ten days.

Nanda Kumar (30) hails from Balrampur near the border with Jharkhand. He had set up the Ayodhya squad of the Maoists in 2003-2004 and extended its activities to the adjoining areas. He has been held responsible for carrying out at least 15 attacks in Balrampur and Barabazar area. Nearly one and half month ago, the police had released posters of his photograph and urging people to give information about him. After the security forces launched operations in Lalgarh, the Maoists made Ayodhaya hills their base and started running the training camps there.

Maoists setting camps in North Bengal:DGP

The DGP of West Bengal Police, Bhupinder Singh, on Thursday said that the Maoists have moved to North Bengal and are creating their bases there after facing tough action from the security forces in the Junglemahal area. Singh, who is currently touring Darjeeling to assess the law and order situation in the district, said: “It is in the four districts of Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda where the Maoists are spreading their influence.” He claimed that Maoists have joined hands with KLO and setting up camps in remote hilly areas of North Bengal.

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Front divided over Maoist solution

Contrary to big brother CPM’s stand, Left Front constituents Forward Bloc and the CPI have virtually supported Mamata Banerjee’s soft approach in tackling the Maoist menace in West Bengal. Mamata’s Lalgarh visit has triggered a fresh debate. The ultra left group has no connection with development issues, the CPM has ruled, asking its cadres for an all-out ‘fight’ against Maoists. But the “common understanding” in tackling the “killers”, which the CPM seeks is far from the minds of the Front allies.

The Forward Bloc maintains that the government should initiate talks with Maoists and development should be the first priority in tackling this problem. The CPI considers the Maoist outfit a political party, and says this problem cannot be considered a law and order problem. Hafiz Alam Sairani, senior Bloc leader claimed their party has been insisting for dialogue with Maoists much before Mamata had sought a peaceful solution. “We have felt much earlier that this problem cannot be tackled only by police operation,” Sairani said. “We have been saying the development of the area should be the government’s first priority. The Maoists can join the mainstream Left movement.”