Bankura police on Thursday arrested three persons who allegedly distributed Maoist posters and leaflets in Jungle Mahal areas ahead of Republic Day.

These arrests came on a day Maoists in neighbouring Jharkhand allegedly masterminded an explosion on railway tracks in Giridih.

The twin developments prompted Bengal intelligence officials to alert all districts bordering Jharkhand to be more vigilant about the Maoists, who seem to be regrouping in areas along the Bengal-Jharkhand borders.

“This is the first time (in a long time) that anyone connected with such Maoist activities was found in action. Earlier we used to recover posters or leaflets only, not those who used to distribute such things... we found them in action and they can’t deny their involvement,” said Dhritiman Sarkar, the Bankura SP.

Police sources said the arrested trio were identified as Prasanta Kisku, 21, Mangal Hansda, 26 and Shibu Murmu, 40, from villages of Bankura’s Sarenga and Barikul.

“The trio were carrying Maoist posters and leaflets in a bag... When our officers smelt something wrong and chased them on Tuesday night, they fled on a motorcycle. After investigation, we arrested the three from their homes in Bankura,” SP Sarkar added.

Police sources said Shibu had a Maoist background. He was earlier detained for circulating Maoist posters and in Jungle Mahal and caught by Jhargram police last year and offered a government rehabilitation package as he promised to return to the mainstream. It seems he kept links with the outfit, a police source said.

“We will interrogate him to know who all are with him,” said a senior police officer.

Police said Mangal, a resident of Barikul, runs a computer printing centre there. All the posters were brought in a pen drive and printed at his shop. Prasanta is one of their associates.

Purulia police recovered several Maoist posters from Jharkhand bordering Laldih village of Purulia’s Barabazar where handwritten posters demanded revenge for the killing of their leader Kishan, gunned down by forces in Bengal in 2011.

Police have started a probe to find out the persons behind such posters.

“We have started a probe and will send a team to Bankura to interrogate those who were arrested for distributing posters and leaflets,” said S. Selvamurugan, the Purulia police chief.