The burnt vehicles in Etapalli tahsil. (Express photo)Maoists allegedly abducted 10 employees of a road contractor and burnt 14 of their vehicles in Etapalli tahsil of Gadchiroli on Friday. The employees, all drivers, were allowed to go on Saturday morning, said the police.
“We had issued written instructions to all contractors that they should deposit their vehicles at the nearest police station in the wake of the Naxal People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) week beginning December 2. But a local contractor, Lokesh Dongarwar, working on the Gattepalli-Wattegatta road, hadn’t complied,” said Additional Superintendent of Police Hari Balaji. “Today, 10 drivers of his vehicles came to our Halewara post to inform that they were taken to the jungle on gunpoint by 10 Maoists and kept hostage for the whole night. In the evening, the Maoists set afire to 14 of their vehicles — nine excavators, four tractors and one pick-up vehicle. The drivers were allowed to go in the morning.”
“We are not rushing to the spot as we have information that a large group of Naxals, about 40 to 50, could be waiting there for a possible ambush. We would make our moves tactically,” Balaji said.
In April, the Maoists had faced their worst reverses in Gadchiroli with 40 gunned down in Etapalli tahsil. Two more were killed in an encounter on November 19. In all, they had suffered 50 casualties so far this year in Gadchiroli.
