Even as violence spread like wildfire across a vast stretch of West Midnapore district, bordering Jharkhand, with Lalgarh as the epicentre, something unique was in evidence. The fairly imposing, two-storied red brick building of the Lalgarh police station resembled a prison with the men in uniform as its inmates. Whatever the scale and intensity of violence outside, not a single policeman walked out to perform his duties. The police station’s huge iron gates were under lock and key and a couple of CRPF men stood as sentries behind sand-filled bunkers.

With nearly half a dozen companies of Central forces at their disposal for the past six months, the police did not deem it fit to move into areas where wanton political killings were taking place every day. The mob fury was also directed against CPI(M) party offices and some CPI(M) leaders, reportedly notorious for their autocratic ways and accumulation of huge wealth. The attacks spread fast but the police were immobilised by people's resistance groups, backed by Maoists.

Policemen who could be contacted appeared in a pathetic state, with one saying: “It is like committing suicide to be stationed here. We have no orders, no instruction, no contact with the people and no work. We are under boycott since January this year and are not even allowed to buy a pack of cigarette from the local market. It is humiliating to live in such conditions. For months now, the people have not come to lodge any diary or FIR, except for those needed for official reasons.”

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