Bhubaneswar: Widening the anti-naxal campaign after CPI (Maoist) attack on police installations in Nayagarh district, police rounded up 52 people for suspected links with ultras and carried out raids in different places of the state, police sources said on Saturday.

As many as 40 people were detained at the Balangir railway station for their suspected involvement in naxalite activities following a tip off, they said adding that four of them were formally arrested and handed over to Rayagada district police for further action.

Deputy superintendent of police N Dandsena said the four were sent to Rayagada in connection with some old cases, while the rest were released after proper scrutiny and verification of their records and thorough questioning.

As many as eight persons were picked up from the railway station here in the state capital since yesterday following intelligence inputs about possibility of maoists likely to enter the city by trains, they said.

Though all of them, caught during separate searches, were let off after thorough interrogation and verification of their credentials, police mounted a close vigil on railway station as well as the bus stands in order to prevent entry of ultras into the state capital, they said.

+All the eight were let off after we were convinced that they had no maoist links,+ deputy commissioner of police Amitabh Thakur said.

Similarly, three persons were held near the Sri Jagannath temple in Puri on the suspicion of having naxal connections yesterday, but later allowed to leave following verification of their background, they said.