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Journalism of Courage
CALCUTTA, JAN 2: Armed dacoits struck again in South 24-Paraganas district and plundered about 40 houses under Basuldanga police station at about 1 am last night.
This is the second major incident of dacoity in the district in about a month despite special efforts by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya to bring down the crime rate in the area.
According to S. Basu, Additional Superintendent of Police, preliminary investigation had revealed that a gang of 10-12 men raided nine houses and decamped with a booty of Rs 8,000 and some gold ornaments.
However, unofficial reports said that more than 40 houses were looted and when the villagers resisted, a gang of about 40 armed dacoits left several people injured, some of them critically.
Incidentally, the dacoits had applied similar tactics when they had raided Usthi a month ago, robbing some 50 houses.
The Chief Minister had visited Usthi to restore confidence among the people. “But this time, they attacked a little wealthier section in the village and not exactly the poor,” said senior police officials, who still do not have a definite clue about the dacoits.
