Maoists gun down CPI(M) leader in West Bengal

In a midnight attack, armed Maoists dragged out a local CPI(M) leader from his house and gunned him down at Lodhasoli in West Midnapore's Jhargram area, police said today.

Sudhanshu Maiti (53), Lodhasoli local committee member of CPI(M), was asleep in his house at Nahoria village when an armed gang of about 25 Maoists broke open the door of his house last night.

They then dragged him down from his first floor bedroom to his courtyard and fired at him from a close range.

The bullets pierced his head and heart killing Maiti on the spot, police said.

Police was informed soon after incident and reached the spot this morning as crossing the forest during the night posed a threat to the personnel.

Joint force personnel were deployed in the area to track down the assailants and the body has been sent for post-mortem.

The killing took place just a day after the PCPA, frontal organisation of the Maoists, withdrew its month-long indefinite blockade demanding scrapping of the joint force operation and production of its arrested members at the court.

The blockade was launched on April 5 and withdrawn on May 6 but life in the area was still to return to normal as vehicles carrying passengers and goods were keeping off the area.