West Bengal: Abducted cop reaches home after two days

Two days after being kidnapped from Sankrail police station in West Midnapore district by armed Maoists, police officer Atindranath Dutta returned to his North Kolkata residence in the wee hours on Friday.

Escorted by commandos from the state police department, Dutta was greeted by his mother, wife, daughter, in-laws and other relatives when he reached home at around 2.30 am.

Last night, Dutta was handed over unharmed to journalists at a field in Lalgarh by the Left-wing ultras after the women arrested by the security forces in anti-Maoist operations in West Midnapore district were released on bail by a court.

Thereafter, he reported to Jhargram police station and also went for a medical check-up late in the night before finally heading for his house. Senior officials of the state police (intelligence) will meet him later in the day to enquire about the incident.

The motorcycle-borne Maoists had looted over Rs nine lakhs from a State Bank of India branch situated near the police station, before killing two other officers and taking Dutta, officer-in-charge of the police station as hostage on Tuesday.