By IANS,
Kolkata : Two leaders of West Bengal’s ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) were Monday arrested for their alleged connection with the Jan 7 killing of nine people in Lalgarh.
The arrest comes days after the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probing the Lalgarh carnage announced a reward for information on the absconding accused.
“Abani Singh and Ashwini Chlak wanted in the Jan 7 incident were arrested from Midnapore town this (Monday) afternoon,” CID’s Inspector General-I Nirajnarayan Pandey told IANS.
Nine people, including four women, were killed and 28 people were injured Jan 7 in clashes triggered by assailants allegedly backed by the ruling Marxists in Netai near the Maoist stronghold Lalgarh in Midnapore district.
Abani Singh and Ashwini Chlak are members of CPI-M’s Lalgarh local committee. The other accused in the case are CPI-M Lalgarh local committee secretary Joydeb Giri as well as Rathin Dandapat, Tapan Dey and Fullora Mondal. All had been absconding.
The CID Saturday released photographs of the six accused and announced a cash reward of Rs.50,000 for information leading to their arrests.
A senior sleuth of CID said: “Acting on specific information that the accused duo was sheltering in Midnapore town for last two days, a raid was conducted and they were arrested.”