Since April 19, security forces claim to have recovered six bodies of Maoists or PCAPA members, buried in the forest. Security forces suspect they are victims of an internal battle.

Sensing internal squabbles and fearing the situation may spin out of control, the CPI-Maoist leadership has issued a circular in the Bengal-Jharkhand-Orissa (BJO) regional committee, to enforce strict discipline within the organization, confirmed a senior Maoist ideologue.

“We have received several reports of comrades killing comrades over differences. The issue was discussed in our recent meetings. These internal killings have been reported mostly in the BJO regional committee. The reasons behind these differences among the comrades have been analysed and a circular issued, urging cadres to follow discipline or face punishment,” said a Central Committee member of the CPI-Maoist.

There are indications of the Maoists losing faith in its frontal organization—the PCAPA—and this is reflected in a series of killings. The list of PCAPA victims include Sailen Mahato, uncle of Chhatradhar Mahato, the former chief of PCAPA. The 50-year-old Sailen Mahato, a resident of Purnapani, used to provide the Maoists logistic support and knew the whereabouts of senior Maoist leaders. Suspected of being a ‘police informer’, he was shot on April 20.

About 10 days ago, a senior official of the anti-Maoist operation in the state received information that Sushanto Mahato, brother of Prashanto Mahato, area commander of the Maoist’s Lalgarh squad, was killed by Badal, chief of the Lalgarh Squad. “Security forces could gather that Badal had killed Sushanta over profit-sharing and his body was buried in the forest on the Jharkhand-Bengal border,” added the official.

“There is a rift between the CPI-Maoists and its frontal organizations. The tussle has intensified over profit-sharing. The frontal organizations use the Maoists to collect taxes from the villagers, and a portion of it is handed over to the Maoists. But for last few months, the leaders of the PCAPA have stopped paying the Maoists, earning the wrath of the Maoists,” said Manoj Verma, SP, West Midnapore. Verma added that Binoy Mahto, an important squad leader of the Maoists, was killed in Lalgarh last week.