Cops stumble on ‘Maoist aide’, seize landmines in Lalgarh

Jhargram: A 31-year-old man, arrested a week ago in connection with a phensedyl racket, is in all likelihood a key Maoist linkman. Police raided Sambhu Hansda’s residence in

Lalgarh

on Wednesday and recovered at least two landmines and as many detonators, all hidden in the cattle shed.

Hansda was nabbed along with four others in the drugs case, but his interrogation piqued more interest and police learnt about the stockpiling of landmines. A probe team, aided by the bomb squad, raided his Burishole village home under Ramgarh police outpost.

Jhargram SP Biswajit Ghosh said they were lodging a fresh FIR against the accused. “We are certain he has some link with the old Maoist network. We need to ascertain what it is,” Ghosh added.

Police will take Hansda into custody in the

landmine

case once the custody period in the drugs case is over. He is likely to be questioned about the recent recovery of Maoist posters in the area and the bomb scare that was reported in the district last week.