Naxals torch 5 vehicles engaged in road work, 'abduct' 3 men

Naxals set ablaze five vehicles engaged in a road construction work in Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh today, and also allegedly abducted three persons, including a government sub-engineer from there, police said.

The incident took place between Bandarchua and Pundag villages under Samri police station limits, where the road construction work was going on under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), a local police officer told PTI.

"A group of around two dozen ultras reached the construction site, located around 500 kms away from the state capital, and threatened workers to stop the work. Before fleeing from the spot, the ultras burnt one JCB machine, one road roller and three hyva trucks," he said.

"One sub-engineer of PMGSY and two employees of a private construction company who were working at the site were reported to be missing from the spot. As of now it was not clear whether they were abducted by naxals or they themselves escaped into the forests after the ultras stormed in," the official said.

Soon after being alerted, a police team along with senior officials reached the spot and a search operation was launched in the area, he said.

Police personnel were also trying to find out the whereabouts of the three missing people, he added.