One of the most-wanted 31 Maoists gunned down by security forces in Chattisgarh two days ago, which is said to be the biggest success against Naxals in the recent past, had visited West Bengal’s rebel-infested western region more than a decade ago and spent three years, said sources in the central force’s intelligence wing.
Hunga Karma, the deceased Bastar area committee member with an ₹8 lakh bounty on his head, travelled to Bengal’s forests areas close to Jharkhand after CPI(Maoist)’s politburo member Kishanji was shot dead in October, 2011, six months after the change of guard in Bengal, said an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer.
“Maoists in Bengal were on the defensive after Kishanji was gunned down. Karma was assigned to revive the organisation’s operations in West Bengal. He spent three years from 2012 in Belpahari and Purulia region in Bengal. But the party’s plans did not go well and he was summoned back to Bastar,” said the IB officer.
IB sources said Karma was equally adept at leading armed conflicts with security forces and recruiting young people into the organization. “Karma joined the CPI(Maoist) when he was a teenager. His organisational leadership quality and combat prowess quickly brought him to the attention of the party hierarchy within a short period. He was elevated as a member of the Bastar area committee in Chattisgarh,” said the officer.
Karma was sent to Bengal and summoned back by Chelapati, a central committee member of the organisation who was shot dead on January 22 in a gun-battle with central force personnel.
Five of the 31 Maoists, who were killed, have been identified. Other than Karma, others are Mangu Hemla, Sannu, Subhas Owam and Ramesh. There were 11 women among the deceased rebels. The security forces are trying to identify others by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
Sources in the security forces said special combat teams trekked for four days covering 70 km in the hostile terrain of Indravati National Park to reach the area where the Maoist guerrillas were camping. “Drones operating at altitudes over 18,000 feet provided us real-time photos and videos. After analysing the images and videos, the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) provided us with feedback that helped us to zero in on the rebels,” said an official of the central armed force.
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