Suspected Maoists kill two in West Bengal

KOLKATA - Suspected Maoists Thursday shot dead two people in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district, police said.

“Two bodies were found at Ektal village near Aguiboni area of Jhargram sub-division in the district this morning (Thursday). The victims were shot dead by the ultra-Left rebels and Maoist posters were recovered from the spot,” Jhargram police chief Praveen Tripathi said.

The victims are yet two be identified. The posters stated that they were supporters of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and acted as police informers, and hence were given capital punishment, Tripathi said.

Local CPI-M leaders, admitting that the two men were their supporters, claimed that the duo was among those who were missing for the past few months.

Meanwhile, one Maoist carrying weapons was Thursday morning detained by the local people at Panchukhali near Radhanagar under Jhargram sub-division and later handed over to the police.

Kalu Mahato, a member of Samiran Hansda’s squad that is active in the Jhargram area, was caught by the villagers Wednesday late night when a gang of six armed Maoists assembled at Panchukhali village, Tripathi said.

“While interrogating Kalu, it was revealed that he was among the six armed Maoists who attacked a government contractor’s house in Dohiguri village Wednesday night as he refused to pay the amount demanded by them,” Tripathi added.

“The armed group was assigned to eliminate the contractor, but having failed to shoot him down, they went to Panchukhali village near Radhanagar to conduct a recce as the villagers have recently formed an anti-Maoist committee to prevent Maoist attack,” he said.

When the gang assembled, the villagers who were conducting a night patrol chased them and were able to catch Kalu Mahato.

“The villagers informed us and Kalu Mahato was taken under police custody,” said Tripathi.

Residents of several villages in Radhanagar area protested before the police Thursday morning, demanding a police camp be set up in their area to protect them from rebel attacks.

The villagers of the Radhanagar area were the first in the district to set up an anti-Maoist committee and also the Peoples’ Committee Against Police Atrocities in their area.