West Bengal: Cops survive Maoist blast
08 June, 2007
Statesman News Service
MIDNAPORE, June 7: A 10-member police team had a close shave when the CPI (Maoist) triggered a land mine explosion seconds before the police jeep reached the spot where the mine was planted at Lalgarh in West Midnapur today.
A senior police official said the police team was returning to Ramgarh after covering a political agitation at the Lalgarh BDO's office. Around 3.30 pm when the police jeep was speeding down the Ramgarh-Lalgrah road the explosion took place at a place between Lokat and Dharampur. The driver managed to apply the brakes of the vehicle a few metres away from the blast site.
"Had the mine blasted just 15 seconds later there could have been heavy casualties. Only the vehicle was damaged and its window glass was shattered due to the impact of the blast," an officer said.
Soon after the blast the Maoists hiding in the nearby forests opened fire on the police team. The officers also retaliated. The police team was soon joined by a team of EFR jawans who were also returning from the same assignment.
There were however no reports of any injuries or casualties in the gun battle. An officer said "The gun battle could have also taken some lives but luckily there were no civilians on the road at that time".
The mine suspected to have been planted in a pit of the road was triggered by a remote control device. The blast was so serious that under its impact a 10 feet pit developed on the road which was under repair.
The Statesman
posted by Bimal 8.6.07,
