One suspected Maoist was killed during an exchange of fire between the Maoists and the security forces in the Lalgarh region of West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district on Thursday.
While the police refused to identify the person, the Maoists identified him as a party cadre named Marang and claimed that he was killed by the security force personnel and cadres of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
It was the first incident since the launching of the joint operation in the region that the Maoists have admitted to suffer loss.
Violence continues
Violence continued in the region on the day as four houses belonging to local leaders of the CPI(M) were ransacked by suspected Maoists.
No arrests were made though, according to the police.
Sukhshanti Baskey, treasurer of the Maoist-backed Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC), who was arrested by the police following information extracted from PSBJC convener Chhatradhar Mahato, was produced in a court in Jhargram on the day and was remanded to eight days of police custody.
Mr. Baskey has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged link with the Maoists. The police claims to have extracted several vital information regarding proximity between the PSBJC and the Maoists while interrogating him.
Demand
Meanwhile, demands for the unconditional release of Mr. Mahato and others arrested in connection with the Lalgarh movement continued to be voiced by a section of the city-based intelligentsia.
Primarily dragged into the centre stage following media reports that Mr. Mahato has named several members of the intelligentsia as to have maintained contact with the Maoists and even funded the organisation, the intellectuals alleged that the State Government is trying to “throttle the tribal movement in the Lalgarh region by creating a terror atmosphere and intimidating the intellectuals”.
