Bankura: A police officer and a Maoist
guerrilla were killed in an encounter between security forces
and the extremists in West Bengal`s Bankura district, police
said on Thursday.
The incident took place yesterday at Sarenga area in the
district when a team of police and joint forces rushed to the
spot on getting information that a group of armed Maoists had
raided the home of CPI-M leader and panchayat member
Tarashankar Patra, SP Vishal Garg said.
Another team of joint forces from Lalgarh also arrived
there and a gun battle ensued in which Inspector-in-Charge of
Sarenga police station Rabi Lochan Mitra and a Maoist
identified as Dule were killed, the SP said.
Patra and an extremist identified as Mithun were injured
in the incident, Garg said.
DGP Bhupinder Singh said Mitra would be recommended for a
posthumous gallantry award.
Replying to a question, the DGP denied that police camps
in some areas were specifically set up to protect CPI(M)
leaders. "The location of a camp is identified on the basis of
threat perception in an area," he said.
On whether Mitra was wearing a bullet proof jacket during
the encounter, Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said, "We sent 700
jackets to the area, but cannot immediately say whether Mitra
was wearing one."
PTI
