A Maoist and his accomplice have been arrested from Barakhor area near the Bengal-Jharkhand border, a senior police officer said yesterday. The duo were held after questioning during a routine security check yesterday, the officer said.

The Maoist was part a group based in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra and was coming to West Bengal to grow its base in Purulia with the help of the accomplice, ADCP, Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, Anamitra Das said. The two were produced in a local court today, which remanded them to 14 days' police custody. Das added that the Maoist has over 25 criminal cases against his name in Aurangabad.