Three suspected KLO linkmen held

SNS, Siliguri, 26 December 2013: Police arrested three suspected Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) linkmen from Mantodari and Mainaguri on the charge of extortion from traders.

"Three KLO linkmen ~ Aditya Roy, Patbitra Roy and Anukul Roy ~ were arrested on Tuesday.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that they were extorting money from the businessmen.

Police recovered Rs 23,000 in cash, some KLO flags and banned literature from the possession of Aditya Roy. 

“We suppose that these linkmen were acting the bidding of the banned militant outfit’s top guns," said the additional deputy commissioner of police, (East), Siliguri Metropolitan Police, Mr K Sabari Rajkumar.

Police came to know about the trio while grilling two suspected KLO militants, Anil Singha and Bijay Singha.

The duo were arrested from Bagdogra-Panighatta area for allegedly extorting money from the traders, including the tea planters, on 5 December.

Based on an FIR, police tapped the phone calls and traced them.

They were heard demanding Rs 5 lakh from a planter, it is learnt.

Police claimed to have evidence, indicating that they were acting the bidding of the KLO top gun, Tom Adhikary.

Police had arrested another suspected KLO activist, Dhananjay Roy from Dagapur area in November.

“We have started an investigation. The duo are being interrogated,” said a police officer.

“The latest arrests have confirmed that the banned outfit is now desperately trying to regroup. They need money to strengthen the organisation,” he also said.

“They seemed set to collect arms and ammunitions to carry out the subversive activities with the money they extorted. We are on our guard,” the police officer further added.

Mr Rajkumar further said the arrested trio were produced in the court yesterday.

"The court ordered 14 days' police remand for them,” he said.

Intelligence inputs suggest that that the outfit’s top guns have engaged several persons in the region for extortion. The KLO, responsible for killing and kidnapping politicians and businessmen in the region in 2002-03, suffered a major setback after it was hounded out from Bhutan following Operation Flush-out in 2003.