Honoured villagers detained for naxal link

Rajnandgaon, Nov 15 (UNI) Two villagers, who were honoured by Chief Minister Raman Singh for helping in tracing the debris of Chhattisgarh government helicopter in July this year, were arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police on charges of them with being naxalite sympathisers.

Sarochi village Sarpanch Padum Singh and Lamera village resident Maha Singh, who were honoured on the report of Rajnandgaon police, were arrested in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Monday along with six suspected naxalites, police said.

Of the arrested, three residents of Bhujari village -Parasram, Bholaram and Makhan- were handed over to judicial custody in Chhattisgarh.

Padum Singh and Maha Singh, who were still in custody of Balaghat police, were detained from Birsa village. They had earlier alleged to have brokered talks between naxalites and politicians during Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, police claimed, adding their antecedents were being ascertained.

The helicopter ''Maina'' on a return trip from Bhopal crashed in rains in the forest in Balaghat district on the inter-state border and all four occupants died. Crash site was located after three days with help of the villagers.

UNI