Maoists in West Bengal have apparently been shifting base from their strongholds in Lalgarh and Belpahari in the last two months, with killings and violence increasingly taking place in Jhargram subdivision, 40 km away in restive West Midnapore district. Police sources attribute this to the strong security presence in Belpahari and Lalgarh.There are seven camps of the joint security forces in Lalgarh and nine in Belpahari while there are only three camps in Jhargram.
A man who questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a public meeting about what steps she was taking to help farmers has been arrested by the police. The man -- Siladitya Chowdhury -- had told the chief minister at her public meeting at the former Maoist stronghold of Belpahari on August 8 that farmers were dying. He had asked her what steps her government was taking since "empty promises were not enough".
Four Communist Party of India-Marxist supporters and a party worker were shot dead by Maoists on Friday after they suspected them to be police informers and their bodies dumped on the highway at West Midnapore and Purulia districts, the police said.
A group of about 20-25 rebels started firing at the camp, under Belpahari police station, around 9 pm.
Alert policemen retaliated and exchange around 60 rounds with the ultras.
Five Eastern Frontier Rifles were among those killed in the landmine blast in Belpahari forest.
Stirring up a fresh controversy for the Trinamool Congress, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek claimed that the state government should be credited for 'murdering' dreaded Maoist leader, Kishenji.
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