Acting on a tip off, the security forces raided the Ashna forest and arrested Lakhikanta Boral, Thakur Das Duley and their accomplice Ananda Tudu. Superintendent of Police, Bankura, Pranab Kumar said that Boral and Das were the prime accused in the murder of Mitra. On the night of February 25, a group of armed Maoists raided the house of CPM leader Tarashankar Patra in Sarenga. On hearing about the incident, Mitra rushed to the village. But he was killed in the gunbattle, in which one Maoist was killed as well. According to Kumar, Boral and Das operated in a local Maoist squad for two years. They were wanted in other criminal cases also. Kumar said that earlier they were involved in robberies in the district and later joined the Maoist outfits.

Tudu is not a hardcore Maoist but he was associated with the two. The police are trying to find out the extent of his involvement with Maoists, said Kumar.

On Wednesday, the police produced the three in the ACJM court at Khatra. After the hearing, Fatik Chandra Mondal, judge of the ACJM court, remanded Boral and Das in seven days’ police custody and sent Tudu in jail custody for 14 days.