Officer abduction affair: bad precedent set by government

The West Bengal government buckled under pressure and blackmail from maoists and did not contest the bail applications of the tribal women arrested earlier by the police on suspected links to maoists. The court had to release the women on bail following which the maoists released the abducted police officer Mr. Dutta.

First Maoists attacked a police station in west Midnapore district, killed a policeman, looted weapons and abducted two police officers from the station, one of who was later found dead before they looted a bank of Rs. 10 lakh. Then they had blackmailed that Mr. Dutta would be killed if the government would not release the women on bail.

This is a strategic blunder committed by the WB government which gives the cue to the maoists who might opt to similar tactics in the future to ensure release of their captured cadres. I wish the government had shown more balls in trying to tackle the issue. This precedent is something that should never have been set and now that it has been maoists have an upper hand.