The clash took place at Dharampur in Khasjangal area when CPM cadres were taking out a procession with the body of their slain leader Nandalal Pal, who was shot dead on Sunday. Both the groups exchanged gunfire and fought with bows and arrows. Three private vehicles were also torched.

According to preliminary reports, the dead were Rajaram Mandi (40) and his son Lakhindar Mandi (20), residents of Gopalnagar, and Gopinath Soren (35), a resident of Kamladanga. Basanti Mandi (26) and Ramesh Mandi (25), both residents of Khasjangal, have been admitted to Midnapore Medical College Hospital with bullet injuries.

Meanwhile, tension gripped the Lalgarh-Binpur areas of West Midnapore with normal life paralysed following a 12-hour bandh call given by the CPM to protest its Pal’s killing. According to party leaders, Pal and others were recently threatened by Maoists to leave the CPM.

“Additional forces have been reached to the area, which is still tense as a large number of tribals have gathered there. As for Pal's murder, we suspect Maoists are involved but we are not ruling out anything till the probe is complete,” West Midnapore Police Superintendent Rajesh Singh said.

The clash took place in the evening when the CPM procession was on its way to Murara village in Binpur, carrying Pal’s body after the post-mortem.

As they reached Khasjangal area in Lalgarh, tribals stopped them and refused to allow the procession to progress further. This led to the clash in which both sides exchanged gunfire and attacked each other with bows and arrows. “The procession attacked our followers while they were passing through the area. The injured people are our followers. If CPM tries to use violence, they will be taught a lesson,” said Chatradhar Mahato, the leader of the Committee.

CPM district secretary Dipak Sarkar said: “The Opposition parties and Maoists are murdering our men. They should come out in the open and fight. The people will give them a befitting reply.”