Armed Cadres of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), an armed wing of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist) have set ablaze at least five vehicles in Mahuadanr of insurgency-hit Latehar in Jharkhand on the late evening of May 25.
As per the information received at around 9.45 pm, cadres of the PLGA barged into a river site near Sarnadih village under Mahuadanr police station and set ablaze as many as four tractors along with a poclain machine on May 25 night. It’s been reported that the vehicles were indulged in construction work of a bridge near the river site.
As per some local media reports, the Maoist party, who is said to be around a dozen in number, also warned the labourers and their supervisor not to begin the work without prior permission. It’s been learnt that a few of the labourers were also beaten by the Maoist, who were equipped with sophisticated weapons, before fleeing the spot. The Maoist also warned of dire consequences against working without prior permission.
It’s been reported that after knowing about the incident, a police team on May 26 reached the spot and initiated an enquiry into the matter. However, the police have categorically denied any labourer being beaten up by the ultras.
Briefing about the incident, Station House Officer (SHO), Mahuadanr, Ashutosh Yadav said that “cadres of the outlawed CPI Maoist have torched a few vehicles on the late May 25 evening near Saranadih, we have initiated an enquiry into the matter and search operation against the Maoist are being conducted in the area.” It’s been reported that the Maoist involved in the incident hails from the Koyel Shankh Zonal Committee (KSZC) of the proscribed CPI (Maoist).
It is being speculated that the Maoist have torched the vehicles in a bid to pressurize the private firm for extortion money as the company indulged in bridge making had earlier too received threats from the outlawed outfit.
It is to be noted that this is not the first time that the Maoist have halted construction work and torched vehicles in a bid to extort money in the region, and they have carried out incidents like such in the past as well.
Earlier, in a similar kind of incident, armed Maoist had set ablaze as many as 11 vehicles engaged in laying a railway track near Gunjari village under Chandwa block of Latehar in November 2022, it was then reported that the armed cadres involved in the arson were led by infamous Ravindra Ganjhu.
In another such incident carried out by the ultras, armed cadres of the CPI Maoist had set ablaze as many as eight vehicles along with a generator engaged in road construction work at Banskarcha under Mahuadanr police station limits of Latehar in May 2022. It was then reported that the mass destruction at the construction site was to extract levy from the contractor.
Two Maoist aides with bundles of Rs 2000 notes held
In other news, the District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel out on a routine area inspection have arrested two aides of the Maoist near the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border in Maoist-affected Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on May 26.
As per the reports, the duo were carrying a whopping Rs 6 lakh cash, all in Rs 2000 notes allegedly of a naxal commander. It’s been learnt that the duo are en route to exchange these notes with the help of others.
Briefing the media on the development, Bijapur SP Anjaneya Varshney said: “a joined team of district police and DRG intercepted two persons on a motorcycle and recovered around six lakhs in the denomination of Rs 2000 notes belonging to commander of the platoon no 10 of the outlawed CPI Maoist, Mallesh.” The accused have been identified as Gajendra Mandavi and Laxman Kundan, both resident of Basaguda of Bijapur district.
During the course of interrogation, the duo revealed that the patton commander had given them around eight lakhs, out of which Rs 1.86 had already been deposited in four separate accounts; they were taking the rest of the amount towards rekhapalli to further deposit it in other bank accounts, informed one of the accused Gajendra.
It’s been reported that the police team have also seized as many as 11 bank passbook and pamphlets besides cash from the duo. It is to be noted that the Reserve Bank of India has recently announced to withdrawal of Rs 2000 notes from circulation by September this year.
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