Lakhisarai, June 23 : In a daring move, Maoist guerrillas today attacked the local court as well as collectorate and snatched their colleague from the clutches of security personnel by firing indiscriminately with modern sophisticated weapons, which left the Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) and six others injured.
Police said about 35 extremists, clad in police uniform as well as in the uniform of the state auxiliary police (SAP), arrived on the spot in a jeep and several motorcycles at around 1230 hrs. They first attacked the court premises where a hardcore extremist Misir Besra, member of the central core committee of the Maoist extremists, brought from Lakhisarai divisional jail, was to be produced.
The Maoists rushed to the court lockup and freed their colleague scaring away the security personnel deployed there. The extremists, who were firing with AK 47 rifles and carbines, also looted two police rifles and a carbine from the police personnel.
Later, the extremists rushed to the collectorate located just opposite to the court premises and barged into the office of DDC Rajiv Ranjan Sinha.
The naxalites fired indiscriminately in which Mr Sinha sustained minor injuries. Six people, inclduing two policemen, one of the home guards and another of the district administrative police, a contractor, a munshi and some other persons were injured in the attack.
The extremists also targeted the office of the district magistrate in the collectorate premises, who incidentally was away from his office at that time.
The security personnel deployed at the court and collectorate could not retaliate the attack in sheer confusion because of the uniform of the extremists, the sources informed, adding initially the police personnel thought them to be members of the security squad. By the time they realised the situation the extremists had fled completing their operation.
The extremists took away Misir Besra with them and fled in the jeep and motorcycles which were about 12 in number.
Misir Besra was arrested about three months back from Jharkhand and was lodged in Lakhisarai jail.
Meanwhile, the entire area had been cordoned and the senior officers of the district have rushed to the spot.
Additional reinforcement had also been sent to the spot from the state headquarters.
Massive manhunt have been launched to nab the extremists.
The injured had been admitted to a local hospital.
—Agencies