The arrest of a Bihar special task force (STF) jawan with a senior Maoist leader in Jharkhand's Palamu district has set the alarm bells ringing at the state police headquarters.

"We would initiate disciplinary action against the jawan on the basis of the report, which is awaited," IG (operations) S.M. Khopde said. He said Santosh Kumar, a junior commando of the STF, was arrested on Sunday when he was travelling in an SUV with a Maoist leader of Jharkhand, who was later identified as Tufan. Santosh was sent to jail.

"We would not interfere in the Jharkhand police investigation. But we have sought a detailed report from them to initiate disciplinary action against the jawan," said Khopde, who also heads the state STF, on Tuesday.

A source said Santosh was part of STF's Cheeta 8 Company, which is deployed in Maoist-hit Aurangabad district in south and central Bihar. "It is being ascertained as to how Santosh reached Palamu, around 100km south of Aurangabad," the source said.

A senior police officer, however, claimed that Santosh had gone to his native village in Garhwa, another Maoist-hit district in Jharkhand. "According to our information, he was on leave and had gone to his native place. But we were not aware of his links with the rebels of that state," he added.

Tufan, alias Birendra, belonged to Palamu district and had been involved in a series of Maoist-related incidents in Jharkhand.

Confirming the arrest, additional director-general of police of Jharkhand S.N. Pradhan said: "The report on the role of the arrested policeman would be sent to the Bihar police at the earliest."

Pradhan, who is also spokesperson of the Jharkhand police, further said: "Since it has been a hectic day for the state police on Tuesday owing to a special operation against the Maoists, we would send the report in a day or two."

IG (operations) Khopde said such a complaint against any STF jawan had been received for the first since the inception of the elite force about decade-and-a-half ago. "This could be an eye-opener for the state police force," he added.

Alert

The police headquarters has sounded an alert in Maoist-hit districts, especially in Gaya, Aurangabad and Rohtas, in the wake of police operations in Jharkhand's Palamu district in which 12 Maoists were killed on Tuesday.

IG (operations) S.M. Khopde said though no call for bandh has yet to be given by the rebels, the police stations in Maoist-hit districts of the state have been put on maximum alert. "The SPs of the districts concerned have been asked to take precautionary measures," he added.