Gadchiroli, Jul 18: A tribal was killed in firing by the anti-Maoist squad of Gadchiroli police near a village here after they mistook him and two others for Naxals, police said yesterday.
The deceased, Anandrao Ramji Gawde (40), a resident of Bhagwanpur village, has no connections with the Maoists in any way, Superintendent of Police Mohammed Suvez Haque said while talking to reporters in his office here this afternoon.
Two people accompanying Anandrao on a motorcycle have been arrested by the police for possessing illegal arms. Giving details of the incident, Haque said the Anti-Maoist squad of the Gadchiroli police was returning after an operation at about 10.30 last night, when they saw three people on a motorbike between Wairagad and Uradi villages.
The policemen asked them to stop as they were carrying arms with them, but they refused to do so even after being warned.
The police chased them into the fields of Uradi village.
One of them opened fire at the police, who then retaliated, leading to Anandrao's death.
His body was brought to Armori Hospital where doctors declared him dead, while Baghunath Tulavi (28) and Deorao Rajiram Usendi (30), both residents of Bhagwanpur village in Kurkheda taluka, were arrested, Haque said.
Two country-made guns, a knife and an axe were recovered from them, he added.
A case has been registered against the two arrested under relevant sections of the IPC and Indian Arms Act.
The three persons were hunting wild animals in the area and were found of not being associated with Maoists in any way as per preliminary enquiries, he said.
Though the deceased is a civilian, he cannot be monetarily compensated by the government, as in the case of the Sindesur encounter in Dhanora taluka where two tribal youths were killed, because these two cases cannot be compared with each other, the SP said.
In the wake of the Mendhri encounter controversy in which six women were killed even after they wanted to surrender, the present case has become sensational in the district.
