2 die, 17 injured in landmine explosion

Lalgarh, Sep 21 (UNI) Two policemen died and at least 17 others-12 police officers and five mediamen-were injured in a landmine explosion in Maoist-affected West Midnapore district today.

Police said the deceased belonged to the bomb disposal squad. The injured were Additional SP(Operations) Sumit Chaturvedi, DSP (Operations) Shyam Singh, Lalgarh police station IC, Tapas Banerjee and nine other policemen besides a number of mediamen some of them critically.

They said the landmine was recovered from Jhitka forest here and was being defused by a bomb disposal squad at about 1300hrs when it exploded.

The condition of the Additional SP and Soumeswar Mandal, photographer with daily 'Anandabazar Patrika' was stated to be critical. All the injured had been rushed to Midnapore Medical Collage and Hospital and a local nursing home.

Police had recovered the landmine, stuffed in a stainless steel container, from the forest last night.

The ASP, besides mediamen Soumeswar Mandal, Mujaffar of 'ETV', Sanjiv Das of '24 Ghanta', Debbnath Maity of 'Bartaman' and Arun Chakraborty of 'Sambad Pratidin' bore the brunt of the explosion.

Incidentally, the Maoists had given a bandh call in West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts.

Police had rushed to the spot with a large contingent and were combing the area.

People in the neighbouring villages of Lalgarh have been asked not to venture out of their houses during the combing process. They have also been asked not to touch any suspicious article and report it to the police.

SP, West Midnapore, R. Rajshekharan, who rushed to the spot, said an inquiry had been started into the incident.

(EDS: Here pick up suitably from earlier series.) UNI XC PL VD HT1605