Naxals set 5 vehicles on fire in Gadchiroli

Continuing their activities in areas bordering Chhattisgarh in Sironcha tehsil of Gadchiroli, Naxals set fire to three trucks, one JCB and a tractor employed for a road construction between Decchlipetha and Jeetam on Monday evening.

“The incident occurred between 6 and 7 pm. The Naxals also stopped an ST bus going from Jimalgatta to Decchlipetha, asked the passengers to disembark and held them for 30 minutes before letting them go,” said Jimalgatta sub-divisional police officer Yashwant Kale.

“The road was being tarred for the first time following demand by local villagers,” he added. The burnt vehicles belonged to Andhra Pradesh-based construction company Sancheti Enterprises, Kale said.

Naxals have made their presence felt in the area under Jimalgatta police station over the past 10 days starting with an attack on a polling party on April 11 in which policeman was killed.