NAGPUR (PTI): Naxalites belonging to the Peoples War Group (PWG) of CPI (M-L) have kidnapped Awsuji Kirange, vice president of Gadchiroli Zilla Parishad and a relative of union minister of state for finance Shantaram Potdukhe, and have threatened to kill him unless three of their colleagues arrested near Gondia in Bhandara district recently were released immediately, Police sources said the abduction took place on July 25 at Sode village in Dhanora Taluka of Gadchiroli district and was reported by Kiranges son Chandrasekhar to the Dhanora police on Sunday, He also handed over to the Z P president a letter given to him, by the four-member armed gang, which forced its way into his house and took his father away.
The letter demanded release within 48 hours of hard-core Naxalites, Pavan Bhalavi, his wife Girija Bhalavi and Shamlal from the custody of Bhandara police.
The other demands in the letter include release of all member of the Rytu Coolie Sangham, a naxalite outfit, who were arrested at Dhanora, and rebuilding of the Naxalite memorials, demolished by the police, at Gayarpalli and Yerkad,
A week back, two policemen and an alleged police informer, who went to a village in Bastar district of Madhya Pradesh across the border in search of some naxalites, were kidnapped by the PWG activists.
Negi special inspector general of police anti-naxalite operations, who is camping at Etpalli in connection with the July 19 kidnapping, rushed to Dhanora Monday, while additional SP. Sanjay Brave reached there Sunday. A meeting of top government and police officials is being held at Dhanora Monday to chalk out a strategy to rescue Kirage
State minister Dharmarao Baba — Atram and Potdhuke also has been contacted and were expected at Dhanora soon. Atram, then an MLA, was himself kidnapped year and released in an exchange.
Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 7, 1992
