Bhagalpur, April 28: Intelligence reports today confirmed that members of Bal Dasta (teenage squad), Mahila Dasta (women squad) and unknown Maoists have been roaming in eastern Bihar districts, where panchayat poll campaigning is at its peak.

Reports state CPI (Maoist) eastern zone commander Baburi Venketraman, alias Ganesh, has been assigned to prepare a guerrilla zone in eastern Bihar. The report mentioned that on April 26, Prabeshda, area commander of Jamui-Bhagalpur zone of the organisation, conducted a high-level meeting inside a forest in Jhajha block.

A senior police officer, preferring anonymity, disclosed that the armed squad of rebels has also started an anti-poll campaign in the villages and have warned voters not to participate in the polls. Villagers in Gholadih and Pairgara forests of Jamui have spotted members of the Maoist women squad and Bal Dasta.

The report also disclosed that a Maoist, Bahadur, from Nepal, took part in meeting, which discussed how to create disturbances in the ongoing panchayat polls. They also discussed other strategies to protest the recent arrest of a senior Maoist leader, Samirda. The intelligence department has sent a detailed report on the induction drive of the outfit in Jamui, Lakhisarai, Munger, Banka, Khagaria and Bhagalpur districts to the state headquarters.

“A large number of Maoist commanders from Nepal, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Giridih and Chatra have assembled in the forest areas near the Munger-Jamui border. We also have information that Maoists have hired vehicles from local operators at some places,” an intelligence officer said, on condition of anonymity. “We have information that a group of Hirabal dasta (armed squad) was asked to take position at a particular address in Banka,” said a CRPF officer, on condition of anonymity.