Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday absolved senior officials of any blame in the Maoist attack that left 24 Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) personnel dead last month at Silda, saying there could have been some failure at the camp leadership level.
Replying to questions in the state Assembly, the Chief Minister said an inquiry was on to find out the lapses at various levels that led to the attack.
Bhattacharjee said there were no intelligence reports about the impending attack with the police top brass. "But there were some intelligence report in the local network at Silda (in West Midnapore district). It was at the camp leadership level."
"If it is true that the leadership turned a deaf ear to the intelligence report, that is a serious mistake. But to ascertain this, we have to wait for he inquiry report," the Chief Minister said.
The three-member committee probing the Feb 15 attack is headed by Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen, and includes Additional Director General (Criminal Investigation Department) Raj Kanojia and Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Zulfikar Hassan.
Reiterating that there was a lack of alertness in the camp preceding the attack, the chief minister said the probe panel was investigating the matter thoroughly.
He said five Maoist ultras also were believed to have been killed when the EFR jawans fired back at the rebels.
The chief minister disclosed that 191 people, including 21 policemen, were killed in Maoist attacks in the state between Jan 1, 2008, and Jan 31, 2010.
-IANS
First Published: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 21:52