Hunt for Suchitra Mahato in Junglemahal

Security forces were on Friday combing the Burisole forest in West Midnapore district to locate Naxal woman leader Suchitra Mahato who fled after the encounter with joint forces in which top Naxals leader Kishenji was killed.

A purse, believed to be that of Suchitra, the wife of slain ultra leader Sasadhar Mahato, who had been living with Kishenji, was found outside the forest leading to the fresh search, a CRPF commandant said.

Over 1,100 personnel of the joint forces comprising the 167 and 184 battalions of CRPF, CISF, the CoBRA and allied forces along with sniffer dog Bruno were carrying out the combing operations, police sources said. All health clinics and primary health centres were scoured to ascertain if the injured Maoists had been there, while villagers were being questioned to secure information about the ultras who had fled, the sources said. The body of the 58-year old Kishenji who stalked junglemahal for about two years, was first taken to Jhargram hospital morgue and then to the Midnapore police morgue for post mortem after yesterday's encounter.