STF nabs one more from West Burdwan

Kolkata: The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police has arrested one more person from Barakar in West Burdwan, in connection with the smuggling of firearms from Rifle Factory Ishapore to the Maoists.

According to sources in the STF, a raid was conducted acting on a tip-off and Ganesh Paswan alias Bhagwanji was arrested from Barakar.

Ganesh is originally a resident of Gazipur near Nalanda in Bihar. It may be mentioned that the police had earlier arrested seven persons in this connection, including three from Bihar. Ganesh is the eighth person to be arrested in this connection.

A team of STF went to Bihar after initially arresting six persons. The raid in Bihar was conducted as scrap firearms from the rifle factory was smuggled to the Maoists through members of a racket in Bihar. The STF officers had arrested 35-year-old Rajesh Kumar alias Munna from Nalanda in Bihar, a few days ago on May 13. Police had brought him to Kolkata in transit remand and he was taken in custody when produced before the Bankshall Court. Police came to know after the probe that Munna was directly involved in supplying firearms to the Maoists. While interrogating Munna, the police also came to know about some more members of the racket and arrested Ganesh.

The police have also come to know that Ganesh had connection with Ajay Pandey, who was arrested earlier. He is also from Bihar. There was also allegation of supplying firearms to the insurgent groups in the North East.

Teams comprising officers of the STF also conducted raids in the houses of those who were arrested in this connection from Ishapore itself, including two officials of the rifle factory. Susanta Basu, Sukhda Murmu, Kartik Shaw and Umesh Ray are residents of Ishapore and the police have also questioned their family members while carrying on with the search operation.

Investigation has also revealed that the scrap firearms from Rifle Factory Ishapore used to go through repair work, before being sold to the Maoists.