Policeman dies in bengal while defusing bombs

KOLKATA: Tension ran high in Alipurduar under Jalpaiguri district of north Bengal when a police person, identified as L.B.Lohar died on Thursday while attempting to defuse bombs allegedly planted by the Kamtapuri Liberation Organisation (KLO) militants. Senior district police officials have rushed to the spot after the incident which created a ripple in the small town of Alipurduar which is very close to the neighbouring country of Bhutan.

The sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Alipurduar, Biswachand Thakur told ET over phone on Thursday that a bicycle was detected on Wednesday night by the policemen patrolling in Alipurduar. The bicycle was left by some unknown persons near the Central Bank in the town. There were two bags which contained several bombs. The police officials patrolling the area, informed the Alipurduar police station and the bicycle along with the bags were kept at the local B.M Club ground and covered with sandbags. Officials of the bomb disposal squad from Siliguri reached Alipurduar on Thursday morning to defuse the bombs. While carrying out the job, one of the bomb disposal squad official L.B.Lohar died on the spot while the bombs exploded all on a sudden. Two other officials also received splinter injuries. However, no arrest was made in connection with the incident and the police is trying hard to nab those who planted bombs in the bicycle and left it near the bank in Alipurduar.

Senior state police officials doubt the incident could be a handiwork of the militant KLO which has recently renewed their tirade against the government. Very recently two Kamtapuri organisations---Kamtapur Peoples Party (KPP) and Kamtapur Progressive Party (KPP) have merged and held a protest demonstration in Jalpaiguri on August 21. The two organisations had submitted a memorandum to the Jalpaiguri Divisional Commissioner demanding a separate Kamtapur state and recognition of Kamtapur language. They had also faxed the copy of their memorandum to the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Police sources don't rule out possibility of a nexus between the KPP and KLO as both the organisations are demanding a separate Kamtapur state and announced a host of agitation programme to realise their demand.