Police open fire in air as tribals storm outpost
By IANSThursday, March 18, 2010
KOLKATA - Police fired in the air after a group of pro-Maoists tribals tried to force their way into a police outpost in West Midnapore district Thursday.
The tribals, owing allegiance to the Moist-backed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), were agitating against police conducting combing operations at Manikpara. They also demanded immediate release of PCAPA leader Basudeb Mahato who was arrested early this month.
Police sources said about 2000 tribal - both men and women - assembled in the area and tried to storm the Manikpara outpost in the district’s Jhargram sub-division, 260 km west of Kolkata.
The police sources said fire was opened after a baton charge and lobbing of tear gas shells failed to disperse the mob. Ten people were detained afterwards.
