Security forces reach Lalgarh police station

Saibal Gupta

Pirakata (WB) Jun 20 (PTI) Pushing deeper into besieged
Lalgarh, security forces Saturday reached the police station
in the area, which was cut off by Maoists for months.

An anti-landmine vehicle cleared the path for the
security personnel who reached the police station without much
resistance to take charge of the building was locked from
inside.

Central forces, comprising men from BSF and CRPF, fanned
out in the forests for combing operations against the Maoists.

The securitymen in camouflage and bullet-proof vests
sanitised the five-km stretch of Jhitka jungle, a Maoist area
near Lalgarh in West Midnapore district in India's eastern
state of West Bengal.

Lalgarh police station was out of bounds since November
last year when tribals under the banner of People's Committee
Against Police Atrocities launched a boycott of police to
protest raids on their homes following a landmine blast
targeting Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's convoy.

AK-47 and Insas rifle-toting securitymen came under
intermittent fire from Maoists at the Pingboni-Sarenga road
Saturday, Superintendent of Police Burdwan Humayan Kabir said.
Two landmines planted on the road were defused, he said.

A bridge over a shallow river was blown up earlier by
Maoists creating a temporary obstacle. However, the personnel
could cross the stream on foot.

The operation to reclaim the Maoist areas was being

carried out by personnel of CRPF, BSF, State Armed Police,
Eastern Frontier Rifles and Kolkata Police, who were moving in
armoured vehicles fitted with anti-landmine devices and
mortars.

When the security forces were driving from Pingboni, they
were obstructed by a number of women. The forces were moving
cautiously for the last two days to avoid civilian casualties.

Firefights with the Maoists occurred at two places
between Pirakata and Bhimpur and near Pingboni Friday night
with the villagers fleeing to safety, police said.

As the operation entered a crucial phase, West Bengal
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee met Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram in New
Delhi and apprised them of the situation in Lalgarh.

In Lalgarh, DIG (Western Range) Praveen Kumar said all
the central forces, including specialised anti-Naxal unit
CoBRA (Combat Battalion for Resolute Action) and the CRPF,
have been a "great help".

"We ask people not to be misguided by the Maoists. We
know all their tactics now and have more surprises for them
this time," he told reporters. PTI