Abducted CPI-M supporter escapes from Maoist captivity

KOLKATA - A Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) supporter, abducted by Maoists guerrillas in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district, managed to flee from captivity Thursday morning despite being shot twice.

Police said local people saw CPI-M supporter Nirmal Routh coming out of the jungle near Mayagram village. He had two bullet injuries on his chin and shoulder and several other injury marks on his body.

“He was rushed to Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. He is now stable,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Pinaki Ranjan Das said.

“Routh was abducted Wednesday night by a gang of 12 armed miscreants from his residence at Nayagram in Gopiballavpur block in the district and taken to a deep forest,” he added.

The modus operandi suggests that he was abducted by the suspected Maoists, Das said.

“In the forest, the left rebels beat him up for being a CPI-M supporter. He later managed to run away from their captivity. He was shot at by them when he was running through the dense forest, but the bullets merely grazed his body,” the officer said.

Besides West Midnapore, Maoist guerrillas are also active in the state’s Bankura and Purulia districts.