Naxals set ablaze forest office in Sironcha taluka

NAGPUR: A group of Naxals allegedly set on fire a forest office, reducing the official documents and furniture to ashes, at a village in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, police said today.

About 7-8 Naxals reached the residence of range forest officer (RFO) Deepak Ramteke at Zinganur village under Sironcha taluka of Gadchiroli at around midnight on September 16 and then took him to his office. They torched office documents and furniture after pouring kerosene on it, they said.

All the documents and furniture was reduced to ashes in the fire, police said.

A complaint was lodged yesterday in this regard, according to reports reaching the Gadchiroli Police HQ.

The Naxals also burnt down a vehicle parked in the office premises.

After torching the office, the Naxals put out some pamphlets in the area appealing people to observe foundation week of the Maoist Communist Party between September 21 and 27, oppose 'Operation Green Hunt', not to participate in police recruitment and not to become special police officers.

This is the second such incident after Naxals burnt down a forest office at Perimili in Aheri taluka and a village panchayat office at Durgapur in Dhanora taluka in Gadchiroli district early this week, police added.