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Suspected Maoists kill two in West Bengal

KOLKATA: Two persons were shot dead by suspected Maoists at Aguiboni in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district late on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, left-wing extremists observed a 24-hour-bandh in Paschim Medinipur, Purulia and Bankura districts on Thursday demanding withdrawal of the security forces from the region, seizure of weapons from Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadres and arrest of certain CPI (M) leaders there.

According to the police, the two victims – Asit Mahato and Girija Mahato – were essentially Maoist sympathisers who used to provide information about the security force's movement in the region to the Maoists so that they could escape before forces raided their hideouts.

“Both were residents of Bankshol village which was also the native place of slain Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee leader Umakanto Mahato.

They had small shops on National Highway 6 and used to pass on information about force's movement. But they had come under the scanner when they failed to alert Umakanto about the presence of security personnel on August 26,” Additional Superintendent of Police of Jhargram police district, Mukesh Kumar, told The Hindu, on Thursday.

Umakanto Mahato was killed during an encounter in the early hours of August 26 in Mohanpur forest.

Mr. Kumar said the Maoists suspected that Asit Mahato and Girija Mahato had turned into “police informers” and executed them.

“A poster was found near the bodies that claimed that both were police informers. A landmine was also detected near the bodies but was later defused by the security forces,” he added.

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