No response to Naxal bandh in Vidarbha

Nagpur, May 24 (UNI) The bandh call, given by the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in Gadchiroli, Chandrapur and Gondia districts in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra to demand release of Naxalites, evoked no response today even as the police engaged in gunbattles with suspected naxalites at two different places in Gadchiroli district.

Inspector General of Police (Anti-Naxalite Operations) Pankaj Gupta told UNI that the people did not respond to the call given by the CPI(M) for a bandh in Gadchiroli, Chandrapur and Gondia districts.

Services of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to very remote areas had been suspended as a precautionary measure, but markets, shops and commercial establishments functioned normally even as security was beefed up in the three districts, he added.

The CPI(M) had called for a bandh in three districts, besides the adjoining Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh and Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. The call had been given to demand the release of Mahesh alias Ashok Reddy, also known as Murali, Arun Pareira and Gopanna alias Satyam Reddy.

On May 9, the police arrested Murali and Pareira, along with two other suspected naxalites -- Dhanendra Shriram Bhurale (35) and Naresh Babulal Bansod (42) -- in Nagpur. All of them were now in police custody and had been taken to Mumbai for a narco-analysis test. Gopanna was in the custody of Chhattisgarh police.

Meanwhile, a policeman was injured in an encounter with naxalites in Gadchiroli district in the wee hours today. Two bullets hit police constable Ramesh Channe on the right leg when naxalites belonging to the Tipagarh Dalam opened fire on a patrol party in the forests near village Mohad.

The patrol party retaliated, and the exchange of fire continued for about 15 minutes. The naxalites then fled into the jungles, according to police.

The police later seized three guns, an axe, a torch, plastic cans, two shawls, a cap and footwear, besides other materials from the spot.

The injured Constable was undergoing treatment at a hospital and his condition was stated to be out of danger, the release said.

Late last night, the police exchanged fire with naxalites belonging to the Korchi Platoon Dalam near village Devsur in the district. The encounter lasted for about 15 minutes before the outlaws fled from the spot, police said, adding that they had seized a gun and a banner from the spot.

UNI