India police identify 'top rebel'

By Subir Bhaumik
BBC News, Calcutta

Police believe Narayan Sanyal helped storm a Bihar jail last year

Police in the Indian state of West Bengal say a man arrested earlier this week has been identified as a senior Maoist leader.

They named the man as 68-year-old Narayan Sanyal, a member of the top decision-making body of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Police suspect he was involved in the storming of a jail in Bihar in November in which Maoists freed 400 inmates.

Mr Sanyal was arrested in southern Andhra Pradesh state, police said.

However, a statement released by the Maoist rebels said he was detained in the central state of Chhattisgarh and secretly handed over to Andhra Pradesh police.

Chhattisgarh police have rejected the accusation. The state's police chief, OP Rathore, said his force had nothing to do with the arrest.

The Communist Party of India (Maoist) is banned in Andhra Pradesh.

Rebels freed

West Bengal police said they had identified Narayan Sanyal because he comes from the state. He is still believed to be in Andhra Pradesh.

In November, about 1,000 armed Maoist rebels stormed a jail in the town of Jehanabad in Bihar.

Most of those freed were activists or supporters of the Maoists, officials said.

At least seven people were killed.

Thousands have died in Maoist campaigns across central and southern India in the past 30 years.

India's government believes there may be 10,000 armed Maoists in the country.

Maoist violence has been on the rise in recent months.