Five villagers shot dead, 20 injured in Lalgarh

Five persons, including a woman, were killed and over 20 injured when villagers suspecting a house was being used by armed Communist Party of India-Marxist cadre gheraoed it and were fired upon from inside in Lalgarh area of West Midnapore district on Friday.

"Five persons were killed and more than 20 people injured when there was firing from inside the house at Netai village in Belatikri gram panchayat in Lalgarh police station area," a senior district police officer told PTI.

"There is one woman among the dead. The injured have been rushed to the hospital where the condition of five is serious" he said.

The dead were identified as Phulkumari Maity, Sourav Ghorai, Shyamananda Ghorui, Kablu Patra and Dhiren Sen, he said.

Asked whether the house was being used as a CPI-M armed camp, he said, "We are investigating it."

When contacted, Lalgarh CPI-M leader Chandi Karan said, "I am in West Midnapore on a personal visit and cannot say anything."

Lalgarh was 'recaptured' by the CPI-M on October 9 last year after they fled the area in the wake of the Maoists targeting them after the launch of anti-Maoist operations.