The Tuesday’s attack by the Maoists on the Sankrail police station in which two police personnel were killed and the officer-in-charge was abducted was led by Suchitra Mahato — woman commander of the ultras in the area.

According to intelligence officers, Suchitra is the wife of Sasadhar Mahato, a Maoist leader who plotted the mine attack on Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s convoy in Salboni last year.

“The style of operation and the inputs received from the constables, who had fled from the police station during the attack, suggest that the woman who led the ambush is none other than Suchitra Mahato,” said Bhupindar Singh, Director General of Police.

“She is the only woman Maoist commander in the area who can plot and lead an ambush,” Singh added.

According to Singh, the description of the woman commander by the locals has made them almost sure that it was Suchitra who had led the group of 22 armed Maoists which after attacking the police station also looted a bank. Suchitra is a member of the divisional committee of the CPI(Maoists) and Sankrail falls under her division, intelligence officers said.

Other than Suchitra, there were some more women commanders in the attack who have been identified as Kalpana, Rina and Sobha. According to the intelligence officers, the Maoists group involved belonged to Udaiji and Pramodji squads.

The police also found cartridges used in AK series and other sophisticated firearms.