By IANS,
Lalgarh (West Bengal) : Maoists Saturday released a police officer they had abducted Friday evening in this troubled region of West Bengal’s West Midnapore district.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Dipak Pramanik, a constable and a truck driver were taken hostage from Pirakhali of Bhimpur block by the ultras, who also set the truck ablaze.
The truck was carrying water for the security forces who are camping at Bhimpur. The constable and the driver were released Friday night.
“I was kept in a house by the ultras the whole night. But they did not torture me. I was given rice and fish for dinner,” a tired-looking Pramanik told reporters on returning to his Balichak home.
Pramanik, posted at Belda police station of the district, was on duty at the Bhimpur camp.
“This morning they released me in the jungle. From there, I walked to safety,” he added.
Despite the massive security operation launched five weeks back by the West Bengal government with personnel from central forces and its armed police units to flush out Maoists from areas in and around this belt, the Left wing extremists have continued to be active by killing members of the state’s ruling Communist parties and constantly engaging the forces in gun battles.
The security operation was launched after the Maoists torched police camps, and drove away the police and civil administration to establish their writ in the region since last November.
Lalgarh has been on the boil since November when a landmine exploded on the route of the convoy of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and then central ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitin Prasada.
Complaining of police atrocities after the blast, angry tribals backed by Maoists launched an agitation, virtually cutting off the area from the rest of West Midnapore district.
Maoists are active in areas under 21 police stations in the state’s three western districts — West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia.