Maharashtra: NIA Seeks Permission To Interrogate 4 'Maoists' In Murder Of 27-Year-Old Man In Gadchiroli

Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought permission from the court to take custody of the four alleged Maoists, who are accused of killing a 27-year-old man in the Gadchiroli district, for interrogation.

About The Incident

In November 2023, Dinesh Gawde was killed on suspicion of being a police informer. Notably, the murder took place a day after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the district. He was murdered in the Laheri village in Bhamragarh, some 200 km away from Pengunda, where he had gone to take part in a sports competition. The group had left a note near Gawde's body, saying he was killed for being a police informer.

Subsequently, a case was registered at the Dhodraj police station on November 16, 2023. Last month, the NIA took over the reins of the probe and produced the four accused — Ravi Mura Pallo, Doba Korake Wadde, Satish Mahaka, and Komati Mahaka — before the special NIA court in Mumbai. After the central agency filed a plea for custodial interrogation, the court has now asked the defence to submit its reply.

The prosecution claimed that Pallo was an action team commander and Wadde was a member of the Bhamragad unit. The duo are involved in the murder and carried a reward of Rsl0 lakh each, it added. The police claimed that they were arrested in July and possessed a huge cache of arms and ammunition, leading to the filing of the charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Their arrest led the cops to Satish and Komati.