The IED blast killed 15 police personnel and a civilian last month. (Express photo/File)Police have arrested three natives of Lavari village in Kurkheda taluka on Sunday for their alleged involvement in planting an IED that killed 15 police personnel and a civilian last month. This has taken the tally of arrests to seven.
The accused were identified as Sonsai Madavi, Sakaru Gota and Kishan Hidami. A senior police officer said there was “sufficient” evidence to prove the role of the three men from Lavari in the conspiracy to plant and detonate the explosive.
“The men have supported Maoists covertly for many years,” the officer said.
Earlier this month, police had arrested senior Maoist leaders Narmada and her husband Kiran at Sironcha bus stand. The couple is accused of planning the blast on the Kurkheda-Korchi Road on May 1, in which a vehicle carrying 15 Quick Response Team (QRT) personnel and a driver were killed.
The explosion took place a few minutes after Shailesh Kale, the then sub-divisional police officer of Kurkheda, crossed the area in a vehicle. Kale was later transferred to Nandurbar district and placed under suspension on Friday.
In its FIR, police named 40 people, including Bhaskar, the divisional commander of the North Gadchiroli unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Narmada (58), who is in charge of the west Dandakaranya sub-zone of the party, was on her way back to Gadchiroli with Kiran (70), where she is being treated for breast cancer. Earlier this week, police arrested Dilip Hidami (22) and Parsuram Tulavi (28).
