CPM cadres, ultras exchange fire

KOLKATA: Armed CPM supporters and Maoists today exchanged fire at Enaitpur area in West Midnapore district of West Bengal in which some people were killed, police said.

However, the casualty figure is yet to be ascertained, they said. "It is not possible to say how many people have died in the firing till the police reach the spot, but there are casualties," DGP Bhupinder Singh said.

"The police are on way to Enaitpur and are some five km away from the spot. They are moving to the spot cautiously as it is night and the area may be mined by the Maoists," he said.

Earlier confirming the firing by the two sides, SP Manoj Verma said, "A gunbattle is raging between the Maoists and CPM supporters at Enaitpur. We cannot give the casualty figure right now." According to top police officials, nearly 500 rounds have been fired so far.

Meanwhile, the Maoists said they have gunned down at least 12 CPM supporters. Maoist leader Kishenji claimed that CPM supporters shot at three women at Palasi village, of whom two died and another was admitted to a hospital in Midnapore.

"After this, villagers led by Maoists surrounded the CPM office at Enaitpur and firing started," he told PTI from an undisclosed location.

The home secretary said he has no information of arms and ammunition being stocked at CPM party office. According to him, bullets were fired from a distance at the CPM office at Enaitpur. Mr Sen, however, ruled out any possibility of mediating between CPM and Maoists. "State government will not take any mediatory role between CPM and the Maoists," he said.

To a question, he said that the police had informed him that the media had referred to some deaths in the gunbattle 'based on the briefing of Maoist leader Kishenji'.

Kishenji, on the other hand, claimed that CPM cadre opened fire at a rally before the Monidaha Marxist Party office at Enaitpur killing two women and injuring another last night. He claimed that this led to villagers to laid a siege to the entire area and throw stones at the CPM office. "We had to stop firing because police came to the rescue the CPM cadre," he added.