Bengal govt withdraws police from strife-hit Lalgarh

Midnapore: Police camps at Dharampur, Belatikri and Ramgarh areas under Lalgarh police station were withdrawn on Monday.

Superintendent of Police, West Midnapore, MK Verma said, ''The

camps have been shifted to the central police line in Midnapore. The

force will be sent to the areas if necessary.''

The camps had been set up on the periphery of Maoist-dominated

areas following the PCAPA's police boycott movement.

The camps had been established to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.

The policemen were also facing acute hardships in absence of essentials, including food, in the wake of police boycott movement.

Besides, there were lingering apprehensions of Maoist attacks.

Meanwhile, PCAPA leader Chatradhar Mahato claimed that they had

not demanded withdrawal of all the police camps.

''We had only agitated against some of the police camps. We do

not know why the administration has taken recourse to such a step,''

he said.

Even as Section 144 CrPC had been imposed in the area since Sunday night, there was no police forces to enforce the orders and the area

has been virtually turned into a free zone.

Meanwhile, TRACO and BSF forces have not yet been able to enter

Dharampur areas, where five bodies were recovered on Sunday.

The PCAPA had thrown up a three-line 'defence corridor' in

Dharampur. The first line consists of women, while second and third

lines are those of children and adults respectively.

IG, western range, Kuldip Singh and DIG, Midnapore range, Praveen

Kumar were holding a meeting in the Kharagpur IIT guest house to

chalk out the future course of action.

Meanwhile, district CPI(M) secretary Dipak Sarkar complained about total police 'inaction' in the area and alleged that nine of their supporters were still missing.