Bullets were recovered near the site of a grave in Nandigram on Tuesday. The grave was detected on Monday in Parulbari village, which is adjacent to Mahespur, a former stronghold of the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee.

"Over 23 spent bullets were found near the grave located in a paddy field," Satyeswar Panda, Superintendent of Police, said.

An application had been made in the Contai court to obtain permission to dig the grave and examine it. But the same could not be done on Tuesday as a magistrate would possibly arrive only by Wednesday.

The grave was found on Monday by villagers after it cracked open and a foul smell began to emit from it.

Meanwhile, relatives of several BUPC supporters, who went missing since November 7 when Communist Party of India - Marxist supporters attacked a BUPC procession, fear that the grave contains bodies of the missing.