FB's Purulia committee member detained for Maoist links

Purulia,Feb 01 (UNI) Forward Bloc's local committee member Shankar Mondal was detained last night reportedly for being a linkman of Maoists, police said today.

He is likwely to be forwarded to Purulia court tomorrow.

Purulia Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Prasad said the police had definite clue to detain him.

However, former MLA and FB district committee secretary Nishikanta Mehta, criticised the alleged police atrocity in the district. He also did not spare to comment against major Left Front partner CPI(M).

''The police and a few CPI(M) top brass are conducting such operations to put pressure on the Forward Bloc before the panchayat election,'' he maintained.

Incidentally, the FB has decided to go alone in the panchayat polls in the state.

Earlier, the police had arrested Prafulla Mahato, president of the Barabazar block Yuba Trinamool Congress for allegedly being the Maoists' linkman. He was forwarded to Purulia court which remanded him to five days' police custody on January 29.

In protest, the parent party called a 12-hour bandh which passed off peacefully on January 30.

Trinamool Congress district committee president Kamakshya Prasad Singhdeo, condemning the arrest, said it was ''pre-planned by the CPI(M) and police''.

UNI XC PL SP KP1844