CPI(M) worker shot dead; five others injured

Binpur, May 9 (UNI) A CPI(M) worker was shot dead and five others were critically injured by unindentified gunmen today when they were campaigning for Panchayat elections near the Sankhahar forest area under Binpur police Station of West Midnapore district.

Police said a CPI(M) procession, comprising about 250 supporters, was moving through the area when one of their vehicles broke down.

Consequently, the rest of the procession moved ahead, leaving behimd the vehicle with a few of the party workers.

Suddenly, a group of armed miscreants emerged from the forest and fired indiscriminately at the vehicle, killing a CPI(M) worker on the spot and critically injuring five others.

The injured persons were rushed to the Jhargram hospital, police said.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) district secretariat member Dahar Sen alleged that Maoist ultras from the areas bordering Jharkhand were involved in the attack.

Earlier, Maoist ultras had looted two Insas rifles after killing two police personnel in Dahijuri area last week.

Police suspected that the same gang was involved in today's attack as more than 100 rounds had been fired at the CPI(M) supporters.

West Midnapore Superintendent of Police R Rajsekharan said a strong police contingent had been sent to the area and combing operations were on to nab the assailants, adding that no arrests had so far been made in connection with the incident.

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