Blast in Lalgarh on eve of Chidambaram visit

KOLKATA - Suspected Maoist guerrillas triggered a landmine blast in rebel-hit Lalgarh in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district Saturday, a day ahead of union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s visit to the area, police said.

The blast in Bamal village, a few km from Lalgarh town, created a four-feet crater on the road.

“Raids are on in the area. They (the Maoists) may have triggered the blast,” West Bengal police chief Bhupinder Singh told IANS.

Television channels said three-four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were injured in the blast. Bhupinder Singh said he had no such information.

Chidambaram is scheduled to visit the Lalgarh belt, about 200 km west of the metropolis, Sunday to review the operation being conducted by the joint forces comprising central paramilitary troopers and state armed police since last June to flush out the left wing extremists from the area.