West Bengal Government on Monday asked the Centre to re-deploy the three companies of CRPF in the Darjeeling hills in view of the volatile situation after the escape of Nicol Tamang, the prime accused in the murder of AIGL chief Madan Tamang.
State Home Secretary Samar Ghosh told
reporters that he had written a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs urging redeployment of the three companies of CRPF immediately to keep a check on the worsening situation arising out of frequent bandhs and the escape of Nicol Tamang from custody.
"When the three companies of CRPF were there in the hills, the state government had urged the Centre to send additional two companies, but instead of doing that the Centre withdrew them for deployment in Jammu and Kashmir," Ghosh said.
On Nicol Tamang's escape, Ghosh said efforts were underway to arrest him and investigations were being made by senior CID officials to see if there was any negligence or security lapses.
A sub-inspector and a constable had been suspended for dereliction of duty and an alert sounded in the district and state borders, he said, adding vigil in all police stations in north Bengal had been strengthened.
He said armed police would remain deployed in the hills till the CRPF arrived.