Kolkata, March 26 (IANS) A 45-member group from Kalinganagar in Orissa, where several tribals protesting land acquisition were killed in police firing in January last year, was detained by West Bengal police on their way to Nandigram, the scene of a similar mayhem on March 14, on suspicion of having Maoist links.
The group was travelling by Puri Express which was stopped near Kharagpur station in East Midnapore district, 150 km from here.
They were detained on the basis of suspected Maoist links and taken for questioning, police said.
“We had some information that they were supposed to visit Nandigram and police detained them on the basis of suspicion,” Inspector General (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told IANS.
“We are looking at the possibilities of their links with Maoists. But no one has been arrested so far,” he said, adding that “after interrogation, if the police are satisfied we would definitely release them”.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Midnapore range) N.R. Babu told IANS: “We are interrogating them to know their actual identity and the motive behind visiting Nandigram during such a volatile situation.”
At least 14 people were killed and over a 100 injured in Nandigram when police opened fire to quell mobs protesting acquisition of farmland for a special economic zone (SEZ).
In Kalinganagar, at least 12 adivasis were killed in police firing when they gathered to protest construction of a boundary wall of Tata Steel plant.
Indo-Asian News Service
