Special force to hunt down Kishenji

Officers handling special cells of the Kolkata police and the state police on left-wing extremism will also join the force. “We need to raise the task force to tackle Maoists because it needs people with specialised training to take on them,” state DGP Bhupinder Singh today said.

In view of the attack on the Sankrail police station and subsequent hold-up of Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express at Banstala in West Midnapore district,the state government has decided to enhance the security of major government buildings and other vital installations in the vulnerable areas of West Bengal.

“Yes,we have decided to enhance the security of government buildings in vulnerable areas,” Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said. The measure is being taken to prevent further abductions and attacks by Maoists. We are taking the step after reviewing the latest security perception. We are enhancing security not only at government buildings,but at installations like banks,bridges,hospitals,railway tracks,to name a few,” the DGP said.

Meanwhile,a high-level meeting between railways and state officials was held at the Writers’ Buildings today to chalk out plans on how to enhance security of passenger trains and railway tracks.

While the railways was represented by GM (South Eastern Railway) A K Jain and Additional GM (Eastern Railway) K K Srivastava,the state government was represented by Chief Secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti,Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen and DGP Bhupinder Singh.

“Since the responsibility of ensuring security for the passengers lies with the GRP,which is under the state government,we have told the government to increase its strength,” a railway official said.

The state government has already requested the railways to run escort engines with armed guards ahead of major trains running along the route between Kharagpur and Chandil,which are Maoist-dominated areas.

CRPF files FIR in Rajdhani hijacking case,names Maoists
In an apparent damage control in the Rajdhani hijacking case,a second FIR naming Maoists and a group backed by them has been filed by the CRPF as against the Railway police’s first FIR in which no one was mentioned.

“When the police forces were heading towards the train on October 27 they were fired upon by the People’s Committee Against Political Atrocities (PCPA) and Maoists. An FIR has been lodged against them for attacking the police and attempting to prevent them from doing their lawful duty,” a senior police officer told PTI.

The CRPF had joined the state police in securing the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express to end the five-hour hostage drama in Banstala on Tuesday. The CRPF FIR was in addition to the FIR filed by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at the same police station on the same night. Additional Director-General (Rlys) Dilip Mitra said the GRP in its FIR named only ‘unknown miscreants’ for the train hold-up inviting criticism.