The sentry was terse, “Please do not stand near the gate. No one is allowed to do that.”

“We are following orders. I’m just the officer-in-charge and nothing is in my hands. We could not sleep at night out of fear and have to stay alert,” said Gourishankar Kanjilal, OC of the Lalgarh police station.

Apart from the OC, there are four sub-inspectors, seven assistant sub-inspectors and 17 constables in the police station. Now, however, their job is to escort Central and state forces engaged in the operation.

“It has been over a year since we gave up routine policing. No going on rounds in the areas. The forces are here, but there is no change, except for the fact that now we can sleep at night,” said a sub-inspector on the condition of anonymity.

Before the operation started, police personnel said they could not venture out of the station or visit the local markets even during the day. The situation was no different on Sunday.

“It was too risky to go out. The local shop owners did not cooperate with us. Sometimes the electricity lines would be snapped, or the phone lines would stop working. Food and daily items were bought from Midnapur town, 45 kilometres away under heavy security. Little has changed now, though we claim to have liberated our police station,” said another sub-inspector.

No further movement of the joint forces, however, from any of their base camps was reported on fourth day of the operation.

... contd.