Villagers nab Maoist action squad member

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 23: Village resistance group (RG party) at Tehatta village under Hariharpara police station in Murshidabad district intercepted one Maoist action squad member last night after a long battle. Villagers beat him up severely, tied him with a tree and handed him over to police this morning. Three persons including a minor boy were injured when the Maoist activists opened fire after a scuffle between villagers and Maoist group including a woman member. All of them were admitted to rural hospital with bulletwounds. A class-two student Jabbar Ali came out of his house when the Maoist group opened fire. Though three members of the action squad managed to flee, the resistance group intercepted one of them identified as Swapan Sutradhar alias Baman.The Maoist action squad reportedly failed to take on them when villagers chase-d them with bows and arrows. Swapan was admitted to Behrampore hospital with serious injuries. Police recovered an improvised gun from him. Murshidabad police int-errogated Swapan primarily at Behrampore hospital, who was wanted in police records in connection with police rifle snatching case, and detected other Maoist action squad members who managed to escape. Police got three more names Yesmin Sheikh, Jalalluddin Sheikh and a woman squad member Sujata who planned to go to Nowda police station area last night. It may be recalled in March 2007, a CPIM’s zonal party office was set on fire allegedly by the Maoist group in Nowda police station area.“The RG party, authorised by local police station, spotted four unknown persons including a woman around 11.30 pm and asked them to reveal their identity. But that gro-up, without disclosing th-eir identity, threatened them and fired two to three rounds of bullets. The members of RG party rai-sed alarm and hundreds of villagers chased them and intercepted one of their members”, said Mr Basabdas Gupta, SP, Murshidabad. “Villagers beat him up severely. Other senior educated villagers informed the matter to police this morning. Swapan is under going treatment. We wo-uld interrogate him further when he is stable”, he added. Neighbouring police stations have been alerted to nab three others members. The Nadia and Birbhum district police were also informed about Swapan Sutradhar.According to police, Swapan was a resident of Birbhum district and he was working as an active Maoist squad member in this zone. Police has started combing operation to nab three other members including the woman. #