Surrendered Naxals flee with 2 AK-47s

DEORI (GONDIA): Two surrendered naxalites, who were helping the police by working as guides, pulled the wool over the cops' eyes and escaped with a couple of AK-47s, seven magazines of ammunition and a hand grenade on Saturday night from the police headquarters in Deori taluka of Gondia district.

Incidentally chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was on a visit to the district on Sunday.

The incident has left the police shocked, and is likely to cast a doubt over the loyalty of surrendered naxalites assisting the police.

Several surrendered naxalites are working with the police forces in the naxal affected areas. Due to their know-how of the terrain and naxal strategy, the surrendered naxals are seen as good guides by the police.

The duo that fled on Saturday has been identified as Arjun Kumbre and Babulal alias Shamlal Korcha. They belong to the Platoon unit Dalam and Sangam unit of the naxal organisation respectively.

Both had surrendered in 2006 and were staying in the police headquarters here, as a part of measures to ensure their safety after surrender.

Their plan to flee was carried out in a dramatic manner. They borrowed a police constable's motorcycle and went out in the afternoon under the pretext of buying rice from a nearby market.

They came back to the Deori police headquarters at around 10 pm on the same bike, stole the rifles and ammunition and fled. The seven magazines contained over 200 bullets of 7.62 calibre.