One of the suspected Maoists being taken for medical tests at S.C.B. Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on Saturday. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Jan. 8: Two suspected Maoists from Bengal were today admitted to the S.C.B. Medical College and Hospital for treatment under tight security.

The duo of Deven Marandi (22) and Manik Soren (21), who hail from Baradidhia village in West Midnapore district, arrived at the hospital around 6am with multiple injuries, raising suspicion of the hospital authorities who immediately alerted the police.

Sources said that Marandi and Soren might have been injured in a blast or in an exchange of fire during combing operation by security forces in Midnapore. They seemed to have travelled a long distance as their wounds were not fresh.

The suspected rebels were detained immediately after they had reached the hospital in Cuttack in the wee hours today. “Two patients came to the casualty at around 6am. Both of them had multiple wounds which appeared to be almost two-day old. The condition of Marandi, who has sustained injuries in both his hands and legs, is critical,” said S.C.B. Medical College and Hospital emergency officer B Moharana.

Moharana said the people who had accompanied the two patients to the hospital told the authorities that the duo had gone to the forest where they got injured after touching an unidentified object. “Only police can say whether they are Maoists or not. We are treating them as regular patients,” he added.

While the whereabouts of the people who accompanied the suspected Maoists to the hospital could not be ascertained, senior police officers reached the hospital immediately and took the two suspected rebels into preventive custody. However, officers remained tight-lipped about the development refusing to confirm whether the persons under treatment at the Cuttack hospital were Maoists or not. Sources said that investigation continued with a lingering suspicion that one of the detainees could be an area commander of the Maoists.

Hospital sources said that the two suspected radicals who were initially treated at the casualty ward have been shifted to the ENT ward with a strong police posse keeping a close watch on them. A team of police officials from Bengal is likely to arrive in Cuttack to identity the detainees.

According to sources, Maoists from the neighbouring state have been frequently crossing into the state districts such as, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, to execute their plans.

Sometime ago two Maoists including the chief accused of the Gyaneswari Express blast were arrested from Mayurbhanj.