Assam Police arrested veteran Maoist leader Arun Kumar Bhattacharjee

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: In a major setback for the Communist Party of India (Maoist) which has been trying to expand its footprint in the Northeast in general and Assam in particular, Assam Police arrested a central committee member-cum strategist-cum idealogue of the CPI (M) on Sunday. The 72-year old veteran Maoist member has been identified as Arun Kumar Bhattacharjee alias Jyotish alias Kabir alias Kanak alias Kanchan Da.

Talking to media persons in the city today, Guwahati Police Commissioner Harmeet Singh said, "Kanchan Da originally hails from Howrah in West Bengal. He has been attached to the Maoist movement for a long time. He was in Assam to set up a complete new system of Maoism here and form the party Congress in Assam. His other motives included setting up a Red Corridor from the neighbouring country to the Maoist areas like Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Telangana and parts of Odisha, engaging youths to join the Maoist movement and finally, to arrange for weapons and terror financing."

Giving details about the police operation, Singh further said, "Central agencies had given us information about the movement of veteran Maoist leader Kanchan Da in the bordering areas of Assam. He had kept himself hidden near the tri-junction of Cachar and Dima Hasao districts of Assam and Tamenglong district of Manipur along with his associates. On March 6, Additional DCP Crime Branch, Guwahati, Numal Mahatta, along with Inspector Sanjay Borgohain, Inspector Jyotirmoy Dutta of Crime Branch accompanied by Assam Police commandos, conducted a massive search operation in suspected hideouts in Thaligram, Nagadong and Patimara Tea Garden situated under Udarband PS of Cachar district."

At about 5 PM while the team reached 16 no. line of Patimara Tea Garden, they noticed an old man aged trying to hide from the approaching search team. Instantly, the search team was able to apprehend the person after chasing him and on questioning, he identified himself as Kanchan Da. Another search team conducted search in a house from where Kanchan Da had come out in an attempt to hide. During the search, the team was able to apprehend another suspected person, who on questioning identified himself to be Akash Urang alias Rahul alias Kajal, a member of the Assam state organizing committee of CPI-Maoist and a close associate of Kanchan Da. Both the apprehended Maoist activists were thoroughly interrogated on the spot. They confessed that they had concealed a laptop containing some valuable information at a place near Kumbha. Accordingly, the team rushed towards Kumbha on being led by the apprehended Maoists and recovered the laptop from a jungle. The laptop was seized. The police team found cash Rs 3.60 lakh being the proceeds of terrorism and other incriminating articles from the possession of Kanchan Da.

Singh said, there are 200 cases registered against Kanchan Da in various police stations of the country and a reward of Rs 3 crore on him. He added that the arrest of Kanchan Da was a big success for Assam Police and also crucial from the perspective of national security.

A Crime Branch case no. 2/22 u/s 120/120B/121/121A/122/384 /302 IPC, R/W Sec- 16/17/18/18B/19/20 UA(P) Act has been taken up against the apprehended persons.

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