Suspected Maoists kill Communist leader in West Bengal

Dharampur (WB), Dec 14 (ANI): Suspected Maoist rebels have brutally killed a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at Dharampur in West Bengal.

Villagers discovered the body on Sunday. The deceased, Dinabandhu Soren, was missing for the last two days.

The Maoists have stepped up violence across eastern and central India. They have attacked schools and police stations, and used landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to disrupt infrastructure development projects.

The main objective of the Maoists is to prevent the development of infrastructure in remote areas, which so far has remained their exclusive domain.

Thousands have been killed by Maoists in the recent past. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist threat one of the gravest homegrown threats to India's internal security.

The rebels claim they are fighting for the rights of poor farmers and landless labourers. (ANI)