In an affidavit presented to the Calcutta High Court on Friday, Verma said the joint forces had no intention of showing disrespect to the deceased, and instead it was done after taking into account the exigency of the situation.

The affidavit was filed in connection with an PIL filed by eminent writer Mahasweta Devi in which she had stated that the bodies of the eight Maoists killed in the encounter were brought like animals by tying them to a bamboo.

Justifying the act of the security forces, Verma stated in the affidavit: “As the strength of forces was less and chances of casualty were high if they did not move quickly, the forces had to keep their weapons in hand at firing position so that they could protect themselves from Maoist attack.”

“Under such circumstances, the bodies were lifted on shoulders with the help of bamboo. Even the bodies of policemen would have been carried in the same manner under such circumstances to save the security personnel involved in carrying dead bodies,” he added.

According to Verma, uniformed officers showed respect to the bodies as they were trained to do so. “However, the bodies were brought from the dense forest with the help of bamboos to the nearest point from where they were shifted to vehicles, said Verma.

Verma added that there were only two platoons of security forces at the encounter site. While one platoon was engaged in transporting the bodies and the materials seized from the Maoists, the other platoon was giving them cover firing.

The Maoists had ambushed the security forces from different directions when they were bringing the bodies from the forest. The exchange of firing between the joint forces and the Maoists bagan at 4.30 am, and the security forces had fired 908 rounds from different weapons, the affidavit stated.

The SP said the CPI(Maoist), PCAPA and Sidhu Kanu Gana Militia were trying to create terror in the district by killing innocent people and police personnel. From January 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010, 350 civilians were killed by the Maoists. In the last one year,197 people have been killed by CPI(Maoist) in West Midnapore, Verma stated in the affidavit.