By IANS,
Kolkata: For the first time since the joint forces began their operation to flush out Maoists from the Lalgarh belt, the leftwing ultras Thursday admitted the death of one of their hardcore activists in a clash.
“Marang, 21, one of our squad members, was killed by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-supported hooligans and the paramilitary troopers this (Thursday) afternoon,” top rung Maoist leader Kishenji alias Koteswar Rao told mediapersons.
The police, however, did not confirm the incident, saying no such thing had been reported in Lalgarh region, in West Midnapore, Thursday.
Kishenji claimed Marang was lynched by a group of CPI-M backed goons and paramilitary force troopers near Goaltore locality in Lalgarh.
Marang, a resident of Chotopelia near Lalgarh, was an active member of People’s Liberation Group (PLG) and the CPI-Maoist.
“His loss is irreparable,” he said.
The state government along with the central forces had launched an offensive June 18 to drive out leftwing rebels, who had virtually set up a free zone there by setting afire police camps and killing state’s ruling Left Front major CPI-M activists.