Top cop blames Bengal govt for Naxal attack, faces suspension

The senior official of Eastern Frontier Rifles faces suspension for attacking the state government over Maoist attack that killed EFR's 24 personnel in West Midnapore district.

The senior official of Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR), Benoy Chakraborty, faces suspension for accusing the state government and charging it with "misusing and utterly ignoring" the force. EFR's 24 personnel were killed by Maoists in West Midnapore district.

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Official sources said the decision to initiate departmental proceedings against Chakraborty for breaking service rules, which could lead to his suspension, has been taken at the highest level of the administration, but the paperwork was yet to start because of the weekend holidays.

Chakraborty accused the district police chief Manoj Verma of being "fully responsible" for the incident which took place on February 15.

"The Silda camp was most unprofessionally set up at a crowded place making it extremely difficult for the EFR jawans to function," Chakraborty told mediapersons at Salua camp.

He charged that "over the years, the basic needs of EFR personnel were overlooked and hey were inhumanly treated by
the authorities".

Chakraborty said there was "total lack of security at the EFR camp and the jawans were subjected to negligence by the
authorities."

There was no visit by the authorities to camps like the one at Silda, he alleged adding "no sympathy was shown to the
EFR jawans and rather their role was criticised during the Maoist attack at the camp.

"On a number of occasions, we drew attention of the state government and the SP to the state of affairs of EFR camps and its jawans but their grievances were not redressed," he alleged.