A day ahead of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s visit to West Midnapore, a huge cache of arms, including two rocket launchers, an IED, 4 kg of explosives and several firearms have been recovered from the Sarenga forest in nearby Bankura district. However, the two Maoists carrying the firearms fled from the spot on a bike and disappeared into the Charbhaga forest bordering West Midnapore and Bankura districts.

Significantly, the IED recovered in Sarenga is similar to the one use to target the CM’s convoy in Salboni on November 2, 2008, said DGP Bhupinder Singh. “The rocket launchers are improvised ones. This is the first instance in which police have recovered rocket launchers in Bengal. Generally, the Maoists here blast mines, this seems to be a new strategy,” said West Midnapore SP Visha Garg.

A senior police official of Sarenga police station said following a tip-off, about 15 police officers and 50 STRACO jawans went inside the forest on Thursday night. Late at night, Mitra found two bikes entering the forest. “As soon we attacked them, the bikers fled from the spot on one of the vehicles. They abandoned the other bike with a gunny bag. The arms were recovered from the bag. We have seized the bike,” said the official on the condition of anonymity. The bag also contained two improvised pipe guns and a 9mm US-made pistol.

Western Range IG Kuldip Singh said: “We have to replan our entire strategy for ensuring the CM’s safety now. We will deploy more state armed police. Our intelligence agencies are investigating the matter.” Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty added: “After the recovery of rocket launchers, we have opened up to the need of helicopters. We will take a helicopter on lease for the CM’s visit.”