Several months before Lalgarh hit the headlines in November 2008, the West Bengal government had a fair idea of the extent of Maoist presence and activities in the state, including Nandigram. The information was received after interrogating CPI-Maoist Bengal state secretary Himadri Sen Roy alias Somen. The Maoist leader was arrested by the state Criminal Investigation Department in February 2008 from Hridaypur railway station in North 24-Parganas.

Over the last few days in Lalgarh, Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias Kishanji, claiming to be in-charge of Bengal unit of CPI-Maoist, has told media that Maoists were present in Nandigram for long, when they supported the Trinamool’s movement to resist the state government’s plan for land acquisition.

On Friday, CPM state secretary Biman Bose accused Mamata Banerjee of “shielding Maoists” quoting Kishanji’s interviews to media. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and senior Trinamool leader Sougata Roy, now MoS Urban Development, have denied that their parties had any links with Maoists.

But, according to Somen’s interrogation report, accessed by The Indian Express, the 58-year-old admitted to Maoist involvement in Nandigram and links with Trinamool leaders and Trinamool-backed Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC).

In the report, which was forwarded to the state government by the CID, Somen also outlined the regional organisational structure of the party. The CID report claims Somen, during his interrogation over a year ago, said:

* CPI-Maoist leaders, including Soren, visited Nandigram in December 2006 to “assess the temperament of locals” when protests against land acquisition by the state government for a chemical hub was just about beginning.

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