The jawans of the anti-Naxal operation squad arrested the main accused, who allegedly shot a student preparing for police recruitment dead on the night of March 9 when he had come to his native place for Holi. Meanwhile, two of his accomplices are absconding.
The accused has been identified as Prakash alias Devidas alias Adve Murey Gawde (27), a resident of Mardhur village in Bhamragad tehsil of Gadchiroli district. He shot the victim, student Sainath Chaitu Naroti (26), a native of the same village. The deceased was completing his graduation in Gadchiroli. Apart from this, he had tried for police recruitment and was also preparing for the competitive examination. So he was targeted by Naxals. He had gone to the village for Holi celebrations.
On March 9, while he was in the field with his parents, he was taken aside by three men dressed as Naxalites and shot dead. This incident caused a sensation in the district. As the incident took place on the eve of Director General of Police Rajnish Seth's visit to Bhamragad, the security personnel were on alert mode.
Meanwhile, the anti-Naxal squad came to know that Prakash alias Devidas alias Adve Murey Gawde was behind the murder and was hiding in the forest after the crime.
Accordingly, on March 14, he was nabbed from the forest, ten kilometres from Mardhur after conducting a massive search operation.
It was conducted under the guidance of SP Neelotpal, additional SP (operations) Anuj Tare, additional SP administration Kumar Chinta and additional SP Aheri Yatish Deshmukh.
Notably, Prakash is a notorious Naxalite who has been associated with the movement since 2000. He was recruited as a member of the Permili Dal. He also served as deputy commander and platoon commander in Uttargarh, Gondia. There are as many as 22 crimes against him. Ten of them are murders.