The Central Reserve Police Force, deployed to instill confidence among the people in violence-hit Nandigram in West Bengal, has accused the local police of non-cooperation.

The CRPF said such an attitude will delay return of peace.

CRPF DIG Alok Raj said his forces apprehended a local Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Anup Mondal on Wednesday and handed him over to the Nandigram police.

On Thursday, they apprehended another CPI-M activist Krishna Ghorai from Brindaban Chowk and took him to the police station. "When we took Ghorai to the police station, we were told that Mondal has been released. When we asked why, police said they were instructed to do so," he maintained.

Both Mondal and Ghorai had been apprehended on charges of intimidating people returning to their homes from the relief camps, the sources said, adding that several other cases of serious nature were also pending against Mondal.

"If this goes on, peace cannot return. We are making all efforts to instill confidence, but the police should also work with us," Raj said.

Sources said despite repeated requests to the police for a list of local miscreants and criminals, it had not been given to the CRPF. While the CRPF wants to shift its camps from local school and college buildings to enable classes to be held, the local administration was not been able to identify alternative sites, the sources said.

Meanwhile, in Kolkata, Home Secretary P R Roy, when asked about the CRPF DIG's allegation that the state police were not cooperating, refused to comment. "I don't know who has said what. He [Alok Raj] has gone on leave. He will resume duty after returning from leave," Roy said.