Suspected Maoist killed in West Midnapore

A suspected Maoist was killed today in an exchange of fire with the police and joint-security forces in West Midnapore district, police said.

A suspected Maoist was killed on Friday in an exchange of fire with the police and joint-security forces in West Midnapore district, police said.

HT Image

Police and joint-security forces surrounded Joybani village after receiving information that some top Maoist leaders were holed up in the village.

An exchange of gunfire took place for sometime after security personnel were fired upon when they were conducting searches, they said.

Security personnel later found a bullet-riddled body of a suspected Maoist with a single barrel gun near it, they said.

The villagers, however, claimed that the body was that of Bikram Mahato, a resident of Joybani village, and he was not a Maoist.