Chhattisgarh: Naxals Set Machines, Vehicles On Fire At Road Construction Project Site

Kanker, Mar 5 (PTI) Naxals set three machines and two vehicles engaged in a road construction project ablaze in Chhattisgarh Kanker district, police said on Saturday.

As per the preliminary information, nobody was injured in the incident.

The ultras video recorded the act and circulated the clip on social media, a senior police officer said.

The incident occurred on Friday evening between Kalmuchhe and Marapi villages, where the road construction work is going on under Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), Kanker Superintendent of Police Shalabh Sinha said.

According to the preliminary information, a group of armed ultras stormed the construction site, located around 20 km from Kanker town and about 170 km from the state capital Raipur, and threatened the labourers to stop the work, he said.

They then set afire two trucks, two mixture machines and a JCB machine, the SP said.

A police team reached the spot and launched a search operation to trace ultras.

The video of the incident showed two trucks on fire while some men, clad in a Naxal 'uniform', are walking nearby. One of the ultras is seen video recording the burning trucks.

In a banner put up at the spot, Naxals have asked to stop the construction works and threatened to kill road contractors if they take up the work without the approval of locals.

Naxals have frequently tried to disrupt road construction works in the Bastar division, which consists of seven districts, by launching attacks on security forces and damaging the roads, vehicles and machines used in the work, according to police.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)