Thaindian News

Kolkata, May 22 (IANS) The West Bengal Police will conduct a fresh probe in the attack on the Silda camp of paramilitary Eastern Frontiers Rifles last year to ascertain if the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) was involved, after a weapon stolen during the raid was allegedly recovered from near a party office Sunday.

“The arsenal number on one INSAS rifle recovered at Enayetpur in West Midnapore district matches that of one of the rifles looted in the Silda camp attack. So far our suspicion was on the Maoists. Now it seems members of the Communist Party of India-Marxist may have been involved,” state director general of police Naparajit Mukherjee told media persons at the state secretariat, Writers’ Buildings.

The weapons were recovered from a field, about 1.5 km away from a CPI-M office. Besides the INSAS rifle, an AK 56 rifle, nine other rifles, 22 pipe guns and 36 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the spot.

As many as 24 troopers of the EFR, a state paramilitary force, were killed in the attack on the Silda camp Feb 15 last year. A large cache of arms were also looted.

Till date, Maoist ultras were believed to have been behind the attack and the chargesheet filed by the police mentions this.

Mukherjee said the additional director general of the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been ordered to carry out a fresh probe in the case.

“The new angle is being probed. Though the earlier chargesheet records the names of Maoists, we can file a supplementarycharge-sheet also,” he said.

The police chief claimed 58 camouflage outfits of central paramilitary troopers were recovered from a CPI-M office at Potashpur in East Midnapore district. The office was, however, closed for the last few months.