The Dohijuri area in restive West Midnapore district, under the seige of nearly 2,000 PCPA supporters since Monday night, was freed on Tuesday after the arrival of Central forces and the police.
The joint forces had to wait till morning as four police personnel including Inspector-in-Charge of Binpur police camp Kushal Mitra were injured in a directional mine blast somewhere between Dohijhuri and Binpur on Monday night.
“We were going on foot when one of the two land mines placed under a culvert exploded injuring four of us,” a police officer told to PTI.
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In the morning the joint forces recovered and diffused four directional land mines on the approach roads to Dohijhuri, he said.
A CRPF officer said that Dohijhuri was under siege for nearly eight hours as the joint forces had to wait till morning to avoid the landmines and firing by Maoists.
The police said PCPA supporters destroyed the houses of three local CPI(M) leaders Amiya Sengupta, Hablu alias Abhijit Singh and Kajal Pal during the siege.
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Mr. Sengupta’s wife Nilima and two daughters and grand daughter had to take refuge on the roof of their two storied house before they could escape to their neighbour’s house.
“Our house was burning. We cried for help. The agitators didn’t allow anyone to come and rescue us. The police were not there,” Ms. Nilima told PTI over phone.