The Gadchiroli police has made more than 100 preventive arrests of Naxal sympathisers in the wake of the Jan Fituri Saptah bandh, which is called by the Naxals in the Dandakaranya area (spread across the forest regions of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and parts of Andhra-Orissa border) from June 5 to 12 in protest against the police deployment and a training centre coming up in Chhattisgarh. Senior officers said that they have identified sensitive areas in the region, and in coordination with other district police and the CRPF have already begun their operations.
The Naxals have appealed to villagers to support them in their protest activities directed towards the deployment of the Indian Army in the hinterlands and conducting operations against the tribals. “We are coordinating with the police of nearby districts, and will be going out in full strength against the bandh. Besides our district police, five battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force, COBRA units and C-60 commandos will also be deployed in the operations,” said Veeresh Prabhu, superintendent of police, Gadchiroli.
Mr Prabhu said that they have already identified the sensitive areas in the district and have begun operations. “We are also meeting villagers in the interior areas and are seeking their cooperation to support us against the bandh. We are assuring them safety to boost their confidence. The Naxals instill fear in the villagers by dropping pamphlets, whi-ch state that action would be taken if they do not participate in the bandh. Our interaction wi-th the villagers will hamper their actions,” he said. The police has already made preventive arrests. “In the last fortnight, we have arrested 105 persons who are Naxal sympathizers,” he said.
Despite police patrolling and a security post in the vicinity, the Naxals barged into the residence of the president of the Tantamukti Samiti for Jarawandi village in Etapalli Gajanan Madavi before gunninghim down last week.
In another incident, the rebels stormed the residence of a bootlegger at Perimilli in Aheri taluka. As he wasn’t home, the Na-xals damaged his vehicle.