He first played a major role in building the base of People’s War Group (PWG), followed by CPI Maoist. Apart from imparting arms and explosive training to fresh recruits, he indoctrinated them with the outfit’s ideology.

Even as he liased with the intellectuals and sympathisers of the Maoist ‘cause’, Dipak led some of the fiercest rebel attack in the Jangalmahal area — a unique combination of intellect, sharp planning and physical agility. “The strength of the CPI Maoists in Bengal owes it to Dipak as much as it does to Kishenji. Here was an educated man, expert in explosives, who is both adept in giving indoctrination lectures to fresh recruits as well as plan an attack on police and lead it from the front,” a senior CID officer described him. He had become a hardcore member of PWG in 1989 after he got a diploma of mechanical engineering from Guntur College.

After his party boss chose him and Kishenji to set up the Naxal base in Bengal, the duo started the assignment by setting up Majdur Kisan Sangram Samity — a jute mill workers’ union — in the Sodepur-Panihati area of the city in 1995.

Simultaneously, he established contacts with pro-Naxal intellectuals of Kolkata, who helped set up various frontal organisations. In 1999, Dipak became the member of the West Bengal committee unit, and the following year he was made a member of the state military commission, the apex body of the Naxal outfit that takes the final call on launching attacks in Bengal.

In the year 2000, he was deputed in the Jangalmahal area — the forest areas covering three districts of Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore — to spread the Naxal base among the tribals.

“He set up the Belpaharai squad, and it was here where his prowess in arms training and explosives came in handy,” said a CID officer.

At least in 40 cases of murder and attack on security personnel, Dipak is linked directly. According to the police, he personally executed the landmine blast in Daldali that killed 5 EFR personnel. He is also accused of murdering CPM leader Rabi Kar in Bandwan.

Post the merger of PWG and CPI Maoists, Dipak was told to play an active role in the ongoing agitations in the Nandigram and Khejuri areas. “Here in Nandigram, he provided arms training to some youths. It was his idea of digging up the roads and setting up barricades to stop security forces from entering Nandigram,” said a top CID officer.