Muzaffarpur, Dec. 19: The district police today pledged to speed up the process leading to the trial of Srikant Singh and Bipin Kumar, the two suspected Maoists.

The duo were caught red-handed while working at an illegal arms factory at Kanholi late on Saturday night.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajesh Kumar said deputy superintendent of police (headquarters) Manish Kumar, who is investigating the case, has been asked to file a chargesheet at the earliest.

The SSP said Srikant has disclosed names of several persons with criminal antecedents who too were actively involved in illegal sale of arms and ammunition.

The police have also started a search for one Ravi Kumar of Barhampura locality.

Ravi was partner in crime in selling illegal consignment of cartridges and firearms to Maoists.

Srikant has disclosed Ravi’s name during an intensive interrogation.

Ravi is absconding since the illegal arms and ammunition factory was unearthed.

A police team, led by Manish Kumar, seized a stock of 900 cartridges and equipment that the rebels used in making pistols and other firearms.

The SSP said he was shocked to see an iron-cutting machine installed inside the rented house out of which Srikant ran the illegal factory.

The police seized the machine, the estimated price of which is Rs 20 lakh.

The police are also verifying the background of the person who funded Srikant to purchase the machine.

Srikant has revealed the names of 14 persons who purchased firearms and cartridges, the police said.

The cops added that the rebel has confessed to supplying cartridges and firearms to the Maoists.

However, sources said Srikant is yet to name the zone of the CPI(Maoist) for which he worked.

The SSP said: “An expert team of police officers would quiz Srikant again.”

He added that even intelligence officials would interrogate the suspected Maoist and extract information from them.

Rajesh said Srikant was an expert in making cartridges, as he has confessed to making 1,000 cartridges in a week.

The cartridges of 9mm pistol are sold at Rs 700 per dozen, he added. The SSP said Srikant and Bipin were involved with criminal gangs operating in the districts of north Bihar.