Midnapore/Bankura: A Maoist was
killed when security personnel, who went to rescue a teacher
kidnapped from neighbouring Bankura district, were fired upon
by ultras at a forest near Lalgarh in West Midnapore district
on Sunday, police sources said.
The Maoist identified as Gurcharan Hembram was killed
in the encounter at the Bhalukbasa forest in West Midnapore
district, Superintendent of Police, Bankura Vishal Garg said.
Acting on a tip-off that the abducted teacher and
CPI-M leader Ranjit Duley had been taken to the Bhalukbasa
forest, security forces surrounded the Maoists at Goaltore,
the sources said.
The Maoists have demanded the release of six of their
cadre arrested following the killing of Sarenga police station
in-charge Rabi Lochan Mitra on February 25.
Earlier in October 2009, the Maoists had used the same
tactics by kidnapping and releasing the Officer-in-Charge,
Sankrail, Atindranath Dutta in West Midnapore after a dozen
arrested women Maoists sympathisers whose release was
demanded, were freed.
The Maoists had abducted Duley from Barulia Madhyamik
Siksha Kendra in Sarenga area on March 5 at gun-point when he
was invigilating the secondary examination.
All police stations, outposts and camps of security
forces at Belpahari and Jhargram have been alerted to prevent
the Maoists from fleeing to Jharkhand, the sources said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, March 07, 2010, 17:52