RAIPUR: The Maoists after abducting an engineer, technical assistant and a supervisor on Friday at Aranpur in the edgy district of Dantewada had finally released them following the district police having taken assistance through the channels of locals.
Sub-engineer Arun Marawi associated with the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), technical assistant Mohan Baghel of MGNREGA division and a supervisor from Raigarh-based construction company were kidnapped by the rebels from the Kakadi village.
All three had gone to carry out some survey for the road construction work from Aranpur-Muler in the strife-torn Dantewada. As they were strangers in the village, the sangham members (of CPI Maoist) conveyed to their leaders about their arrival following which they were kidnapped.
“The region is the Maoist hotbed. The Naxals took them away on Friday but released them on Saturday night. Owing to the improvised explosive devices (IEDs), spikes planted along the route, all three were asked not to take risk and stay overnight at Aranpur. Today they safely reached the district headquarter”, Abhishek Pallava, Dantewada superintendent of police told the Express.
He informed that a 16 km road construction has been proposed between the Kakadi (Aranpur) to Muler with an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore and there is also a government’s plan of setting up of a base camp nearby of the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) at Potali. “And the Maoists are strongly opposing both the proposals”, the SP added.
“The rebels after tying the hands of all three took them to the forest”, the villagers had revealed to the police. According to the unconfirmed reports the three visitors were involved in activities that antagonised the local villagers.
The road construction work is to begin after few days. Dantewada continues to the among the seven worst Maoist-affected districts in the conflict zone of Bastar in south Chhattisgarh.