Purulia killings: police role in Mao attack under scanner

Home Secretary Asok Mohan Chakraborty said the government would probe the role of the policemen stationed at the police camp at Verada in Purulia.

The three policemen were among the seven guarding an under-construction community hall at Verada, he said. Chakraborty was speaking to mediapersons at the Writers8217; Buildings on Wednesday.

He raised doubts over the manner of killing and said: 8220;There were seven policemen at the community hall and the three had gone out for a while.

There were three versions on why they had gone out 8212; they went for tea or they got some tip-off and went out or they went to defuse tension after a ruckus created nearby,8221; said the home secretary.

8220;Once they came out, the miscreants opened fire at them. The policemen at the hall fired four rounds in retaliation. There were nearly 30 policemen at the Verada camp that was just 500 metres away. But nobody among them fired. We are probing why they did not retaliate,8221; said Chakraborty.

Director General of Police A B Vohra and other senior officers of the state police have already visited the spot and conducted an inquiry into the incident.

The Director General submitted his report to the government on Wednesday evening.

Chakraborty said Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee would raise the issue of Maoist strikes at the meeting of chief ministers convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on January 6.

The official said the state government had sought the cooperation of the Jharkhand government to curb the Maoist menace.

8220;The Maoists enter from Jharkhand but we cannot move into that state and take police action. We are requesting the government of that state to look into the matter,8221; said the home secretary.

He also ruled out the possibility of a ban on the Maoists.

8220;Whether you ban the outfit or not does not make any difference. By banning an outfit can you stop a miscreant from indulging in mischief?8221; Chakraborty asked.