The Bandimukti Committee on Friday took out a rally within the premises of the Kolkata Book Fair with posters demanding the immediate release of political prisoners such as Probodh Purkayet, Patit Paban Halder and Chatradhar Mahato, and also sought for probe into the deaths of Kishenji, Lalmohan Tudu, Sidhu Soren and Umakanta Mahato and the removal of joint forces from the state’s Maoist-affected regions.

“The Co-ordination of Democratic Rights, our national body, had initiated a probe into the death of Kishenji. The result of this independent inquiry was horrific. He was arrested, tortured and then killed. The police and paramilitary personnel should be punished for this crime,” Choton Das, the general secretary of the Bandimukti Committee, said.

Das said CM Mamata Banerjee, who had earlier demanded judicial probe into the Azad encounter in Andhra Pradesh, should also order an inquiry in the one that happened in her own state. Azad, who was a senior member of banned CPI (Maoist).

Author Tilottoma denied entry

Kolkata: After Taslima Nasreen’s book, now a Bengali novelist was refused entry into the book fair. Author Tilottama Majumdar had an altercation with private security guards on the Milan Mela premises on Friday.

Majumdar, who was on her way to the Ananda Publishers stall, was stopped by the guards at the gate at 11.50am as the fair starts every day at noon. The author, an employee of Ananda Publishers, was not carrying her ID card. Participants are allowed to enter the fair premises any time before and after the mela hours.