Police on alert as villagers ‘spot’ armed men in Raigad

On Saturday, Pravina Pandurang Mandavkar of Wavdungi village in Murud taluka went into the jungle to collect wood when she spotted eight to ten men with guns and backpacks. Shubham Nathu Bekare, a boy from the same village, as well as residents of adjoining villages like Saygaon also told the police they had seen the men in the jungle.

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The sanctuary has a dense forest cover of about 56 square km.

With Independence Day coming up, the police have taken the inputs seriously. Teams of armed personnel have begun searching the town area apart from the jungle.

Armed men have been deployed at strategic locations. Suspicious vehicles are being checked and patrolling has been intensified.

Mohammed Suvez Haque, superintendent of police, Raigad district, said, “Searches are on. So far we have not got anything concrete. However, as a matter of national security, we have taken the information from the villagers very seriously.”