Purulia: One person was killed and a policeman was injured early on Saturday in an encounter with police at Kotsila in Maoist-hit Purulia district.
The police said an anti-social element Ashwini Mahato was killed in the encounter at Beko jungle of Haratan village in Kotsila early this morning when the police went to rescue two abducted villagers.
A group of anti-social elements allegedly abducted Lakshmi Mahato, husband of the panchayat member Renuka Mahato and his brother Dinesh Mahato had abducted Friday night.
The police raided the area and fought a gunbattle with the anti-socials in which a sub-inspector of police Rajat Chowdhury was injured. He has been admitted to a hospital at Ranchi, the police said.
The abducted persons returned Saturday morning and the police have been interrogating the duo, sources said.
PTI
