Villagers allegedly lynched a Maoist leader in West Bengal's West Midnapore district Saturday, police said.
The ultra Hemanta Mahato, associated with the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (a frontal organisation of the red rebels), was beaten to death when he returned to his village Nedabahara under Jhargram police district.
"He had been on the run since 2011 when the ultras suffered setbacks in the area. As soon as news of his arrival spread, the villagers engaged into an altercation with him which snowballed into Mahato being lynched," said a police officer.
Mahato had reportedly come back to the village to participate in a protest rally against the arrest of (gram panchayat) village head member and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Sukumar Murmu.
Mahato was wanted in several cases related to the Maoist upsurge in Lalgarh of West Midnapore district in 2008-10. However, despite several raids, the police had not been able to arrest him.