Kolkata: The West Bengal Government has, in the wake of Sunday's killings of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Sunil Kumar Mahato and three others near Jamshedpur, initiated steps for additional security in those districts of the State which adjoin Jharkhand and where Maoist activists are known to have a presence.

A general alert has been sounded in them.

A 12-hour bandh was called by the State unit of the JMM on Tuesday, a day after Jharkhand observed a total bandh in protest against the killings for which Maoists are suspected to have been responsible.

The bandh had a partial impact in the three southwestern districts of West Bengal — Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Mednipur — all of which share a border with Jharkhand.

The bandh was peaceful, State's Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy said.

The Jharkhand police have launched coordinated combing operations with the West Bengal police to track down the killers.

The State administration is deploying in the sensitive districts one more company of Central paramilitary forces, to be brought in from north Bengal, Mr. Roy said.

It will supplement the six companies already stationed. If required, the State Government will ask for additional central paramilitary forces, he said.

The State administration has, however, refuted reports that those responsible for the killing of Mr. Mahato might have entered Jharkhand from West Bengal.

A senior official said the reverse was usually true as was borne out by past incidents of violence reported from these three border districts. Maoist activists have been reported to sneak into West Bengal and after carrying out violent acts flee back to their hideouts in Jharkhand.

The matter had been taken up with the Jharkhand administration in the past and its cooperation sought in apprehending those responsible for such acts in West Bengal as well as in stepping up vigil along the border separating the two States, he said.

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