Midnapore: For the first time since
the death of top ultra leader Kishenji in November in
junglemahal, an armed encounter took place between the Maoists
and joint security forces in West Midnapore district on Friday,
but there was no casualty.
The forces on a tip off that Maoist squad leader Robin
Mandi was holding a meeting of cadres in at Jhauri forest
under Gopiballabhpur police station surrounded the area,
police sources said.
The ultras opened fire on the security forces who
retaliated and the encounter continued for an hour, the
sources said.
There was no casualty, the sources said.
After the firing stopped, the police combed the area
and found a .303 rifle, several landmines and crude bombs,
the sources said.
The police had on January 21 foiled a Maoist plan to
attack the IAF's Kalaikunda airbase to avenge the death of
Kishenji.
The plot was discovered following the arrest of six
linkmen on the basis of a statement of a Maoist sympathiser
nabbed from Indravati forest in the district 12 days earlier.
PTI
First Published: Friday, February 03, 2012, 16:45