Ranchi, Dec 20 (IANS): At least 40 accounts of Maoist operatives containing Rs 55 crore have been frozen by the banking authorities in Jharkhand, a state that is one of their strongholds, police said.

Among the 40, 15 are hardcore ultras who carry bounties on their heads.

Official sources said it was being probed as to how these Maoists were operating their accounts with such freedom. The accounts which have been frozen were spread across Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Chaibasa districts.

"The bigger names of the Maoists ranks whose bank accounts have been frozen included Akramanji, Brajesh Ganju, Bindu Ganjhu, Rakesh and Shekhar Ganjhu. Apart from them, the accounts of Maoists like Kohram, Arif, Karampal and Kabir's, who carry awards on their heads, have also been frozen," the police said.

Several Maoists who deposited their money into the accounts of their family members or other relatives have also been debarred from carrying out financial transactions.

Since the wives of many Maoists were either Mukhiyas or Zilla Parishad members, their accounts were being strictly monitored.