Kolkata: Security personnel today entered
Enaitpur, the scene of last night's fierce gunbattle between
Maoists and CPI(M) cadre in West Midnapore district of West
Bengal, but did not come across casualties claimed by the
Left-wing extremists.
"The police have been able to enter the area. There is
no casualty," West Midnapore's Superintendent of Police Manoj
Verma said.
Police had earlier said that some people were killed
yesterday in the exchange of fire between armed CPI(M)
supporters and Maoists in the area.
Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen told reporters that there
was no death in the armed encounter, but three persons
suffered bullet injuries. "The political affiliation of the
injured was not yet known," he said.
Meanwhile, District police sources said that two women,
Sombibi Besari and her daughter, Dulali Besari were admitted
to the Jhargram sub-divisional hospital with bullet injuries
in the legs.
The Maoists claimed that they killed seven CPI(M) cadres
in the gunbattle, that according to them, took place after
Left workers opened fire at a rally at Enaitpur killing two
women and injuring another last night.
The Home Secretary said he has no information of arms and
ammunition being stocked at CPI(M) party office.
According to him, bullets were fired from a distance
at the CPI(M) office at Enaitpur.
Sen, however, ruled out any possibility of mediating
between the CPI(M) and Maoists. "State government will not
take any mediatory role between the CPI(M) and the Maoists,"
he said.
To a question, he said that the police had informed
him that the media had referred to some deaths in the
gunbattle 'based on the briefing of Maoist leader Kisenji'.
Kishenji, on the other hand, claimed that CPI(M) cadre
opened fire at a rally before the Monidaha Marxist Party
office at Enaitpur killing two women and injuring another last
night.
He claimed that this led to villagers to laid a siege
to the entire area and throw stones at the CPI (M) office.
"We had to stop firing because police came to the
rescue the CPI(M) cadre," he added.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 22:01