Kolkata, Jun 17 : In their first strike after regime change in West Bengal, suspected Maoist sympathisers torched at least eight houses of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and activists in West Midnapore district Thursday, police said.

"Eight houses of CPI-M leaders and supporters in Satghora and Aguboni areas of Jhargram sub-division were torched by the suspected Peoples' Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) members," said West Midnapore Police Superintendent Praveen Tripathi.

PCAPA is a pro-Maoist tribal outfit. Several members of the organisation were earlier arrested and booked for their alleged involvement in several unlawful activities.

Among the eight CPI-M leaders whose houses were torched, four are zonal committee members and another a local committee member. Three others are party supporters.

"We have arrested four PCAPA members for their alleged involvement in the case," Tripathi told IANS over phone.

This is the first major attack by the pro-Maoists since the Trinamool Congress-Congress government of Mamata Banerjee took over the reins of the state last month after ending the 34-year rule of the communist-led Left Front.

IANS