Maharashtra: BRO engineer killed, trucks set ablaze in Naxal raid

In their first big strike in recent times in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, Naxalites attacked a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp, ...

In their first big strike in recent times in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, Naxalites attacked a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp, dragged out a BRO engineer and beat him to death.

The Naxalites left after setting ablaze four trucks and assaulting all others at the camp.

The incident occurred last night in Etapalli village, some 250 km from Nagpur. Gadchiroli with its thick forests is also used by Naxalite cadres as a passage between Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

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BRO junior engineer M Ganeshan, 35, was dragged out of his tent and killed by a gang of some 20 Naxalites and their supporters between 10.30 and 11 pm Saturday. Overseer Lallaram was among those injured.

There had been apprehension of a retaliatory Naxal strike ever since January 1 when three of their cadres were killed in north Gadchiroli.

The Naxalites had been warning the BRO to wind up construction work in the district. The BRO, which used to get its works executed through private contractors, had undertaken the work themselves about a year ago.