Even as political dogfight continued in various parts of the Birbhum district, the police in a massive crackdown arrested about 400 persons and recovered at least 112 live bombs from various blocks district, Superintendent of Police Shyam Singh said.
In a sudden raid on Saturday night, the police picked up 399 people out of which 65 were arrested on specific charges, the SP said, adding 228 people were arrested on preventive grounds and the rest were rounded up in connection with pending cases.
Other senior officials said the police had acted on tip-offs recovering 112 live bombs including crude and sockets bombs which were stored in various blocks.”We conducted simultaneous operations throughout 7-8 police stations of the district and recovered 112 pieces of bombs besides arresting 399 people on various charges,” Singh said, adding “six country-made arms and ammunition were also recovered, one each from Sadaipur, Rampurhat, Dubrajpur, Nalhati, Mohammad Bazar and Labpur police station area.”
Raids were conducted at Nanoor, Panrui, Sadaipur, Kankalitala, Rampurhat and Labhpur police stations the IPS officer said refusing to dwell on whether these arrests were connected to the recent blasts in at least two places bringing down two concrete premises.
In one such blast a concrete club house allegedly controlled by the BJP had caved in and in the second blast an abandoned village health centre was blown off, police said.
Birbhum district had been on the boil ever since the conclusion of the general elections with both BJP and ruling Trinamool Congress engaging in a mutual turf war leading to several deaths and injuries.