Naxals set vehicles on fire in Chhattisgarh; contractor feared killed

Raipur, March 19

Naxals on Monday set on fire four vehicles and machines engaged in road construction work in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, a police official said.

The contractor was feared to have been kidnapped and killed, but there was no official confirmation yet, he said.

The incident took place in the morning between Tumnar and Koitpal villages, where the road construction work was going on under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana, Deputy Inspector General of Police (south Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

According to preliminary information, a group of armed Naxals stormed the construction site, located around 7 km from Bijapur town and about 450 km from the state capital, and threatened the labourers to stop the work, he said.

The ultras then set ablaze four vehicles and machines before fleeing the spot, he said.

The IG said that according to information reaching him, Naxals also kidnapped and killed the contractor, but it was yet to be confirmed.

Security forces were sent to the spot and more details were awaited, he added.

Last week on March 14, Naxals had burnt seven vehicles and machines engaged in road construction between Bijapur and Gangaloor in the district.

A day before that, on March 13, nine personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed in an IED blast, when Maoists blew up their mine-protected vehicle (MPV) in Sukma district.

On February 18 this year, the rebels had set fire to several vehicles involved in road construction work between Bhejji and Elarmadgu in Sukma district and killed an employee of the construction contractor.

Naxals have frequently tried to disrupt road construction works in the Bastar division, which consists of seven districts, by launching attacks on security forces and damaging the roads, and vehicles and machines used in the work, a senior police official had earlier said.

The ultras felt that the developmental works in the region and construction of roads would uproot them from the area, he had said. PTI