Maha: Two Naxals arrested at protest rally in Gadchiroli

The police have arrested two Naxals who participated in a rally against a mining project in Ettapalli taluka of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, an official said on Thursday.

Villagers had organised a rally to protest against the Surjagad mining project in Etapalli on October 26, a release stated.

The Gadchiroli police had received a tip-off that some Naxals had joined the rally, following which some plain-clothes personnel of the Special Operation Squad were deployed to apprehend the ultras.

The police arrested action team member Muda Masa Zohi (32) and Jan Militia member Mainu Dorpeti during the rally, the release stated.

According to the police, Zohi is a resident of Gorgutta village, which is located in limits of highly sensitive AOP Gatta Jambia.

The arrested ultra was allegedly involved in three encounters over the last two years, and was recruited in Gatta LOS of CPI (Maoist) groups as a party member.

Dorpeti, a resident of Bodmeta in Etapalli, had allegedly killed a man on September 18 and was also involved in an attack at AOP Gatta (Jambia) in May 11, the release said.

The arrested cadres had a reward of Rs 2 lakh each on their heads, it was stated.

Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal has intensified the anti-Naxal operations in the district and has appealed to active cadres to renounce the path of violence.