Maoist posters rattle police

Police went into a tizzy on Tuesday morning, seeing posters of a Maoist group demanding the release of its leaders charged with sedition.

Among the leaders whose names figured on the posters that appeared in north Calcutta were Somen, the state secretary of the CPI (Maoist), and Chandi Sarkar, a member of the organisation’s state committee. The posters were put up by Revolution Youth League (RYL), believed to be a front of the CPI (Maoist).

The cops pressed the panic button immediately after spotting the posters, beefing up security at the CID headquarters in Bhabani Bhavan, where Somen is being interrogated.

“Cars, except for those of senior officers, were not allowed to enter Bhabani Bhavan during the day. Police stations across the city have been asked to remove Maoist posters immediately after spotting them,” said an officer at Lalbazar.

This was the second incident of the police being rattled by Maoist posters — earlier, in December last year, posters were found on the walls of Writers’ Buildings.

“Tuesday’s posters, put up at prominent spots, demanded the release of a few Maoist leaders and criticised the Union budget,” said Pallab Kanti Ghosh, the deputy commissioner of police (north).

The police noticed the first poster around 7.30am, on a Bagbazar wall. Soon after, two more posters were seen in Pal Lane, near the Shyambazar traffic guard.

“A few minutes later, our men reported having seen similar posters on a signal post at the Shyambazar five-point crossing and on the walls of a private bank at the crossing of RG Kar Road and Raja Dinendra Street,” said an officer of the special branch, which has been asked to probe how the RYL could put up the posters.

In June last year, the outfit was allegedly involved in setting a tram on fire at the MG Road-College Street crossing.

Money trail: Sleuths questioning Somen, arrested on February 23, said he used to receive Rs 1.6 lakh every three months for organisational work. “His share was Rs 3,000. There were separate funds for arms,” said an officer.