As the security forces entered Kantapahari on Monday, relief camps opened by the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) were converted into ‘police camps’. The Kantapahari relief camps housed nearly 3,000 villagers from neighbouring areas, who had fled their homes fearing police atrocities.

Contrary to widespread apprehension, there was no resistance offered by the PCPA members and the Maoists. At Dalilpur Chowk, Chotopelia, Boropelia, where till Sunday Maoist squads were spotted, the security forces marched without any opposition. The operation started at 8 am on Monday and ended at 11 am. Two columns of security forces approached the place from two directions — one from Lalgarh and the other from Ramgarh — and embraced each other as soon as they reached the place. Soon after, villagers staying in a relief camp in Vivekananda High School, run by the PCPA, were asked to return to their homes.

“Now we are here. They do not need to stay in relief camps,” said Praveen Kumar, DIG Midnapur Range, who led the forces from Lalgarh. Other relief camps were also dismantled.

“It is a major success for the security forces. Now we are going to set up camp here. Our prime target is to establish the rule of law and confidence among the people, which was not here for the past seven or eight months,” said Siddhinath Gupta, DIG (Operations) CID, who led the forces from Ramgarh.

Despite combing operations, Chattradhar Mahato, leader of PCPA, and other leaders escaped. And top cops said so far only about one-third of the Maoist-affected area had been covered. They said there are 17 approach roads to Lalgarh that needed to be covered and there are 225 villages that have not been “sanitised” as yet.

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