Naxals blow up RFO’s house

NAGPUR, MARCH 12: The Naxalites of the Peoples' War Group (PWG) allegedly killed a farmer and blew up the house of a Range Forest Officer ...

NAGPUR, MARCH 12: The Naxalites of the Peoples’ War Group (PWG) allegedly killed a farmer and blew up the house of a Range Forest Officer (RFO) at Sawargaon under Dhanora tehsil in Gadchiroli district, some 200 kms from here on late Friday night.

According to police sources, an armed Naxalite group stormed the house of the RFO, Nandkishore Burade, and blew it up. As Burade and his family members were out of station, they escaped unhurt. Burade is the RFO at the Sawargaon forest range and had recently seized some illegally felled teak logs. The villagers said that the teak loggers might have complained about Burade’s action to the Naxalites, resulting in the incident.

Police felt that the blast was made with the sole intention of killing Burade. Most of the household goods were gutted in the blast. On their way back, the attackers also burnt his motorcycle.

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Before attacking the house, the PWG members allegedly shot a farmer, Tukaram Lade. The reason for the killing, however, was not known immediately, police added.

Senior police officials have rushed to the spot. This is the second such incident in the district. Last week, the Naxalites stormed the Asrali police station in Sironcha taluka, bordering Madhya Pradesh, and attacked police personnel. At least five police personnel were injured, two of them seriously, when police force resisted the PWG members. The Naxalites had also snatched arms and ammunition from the police station.

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