Black flag hoisted at Arewada panchayat office on Independence Day

Mumbai: A black flag was allegedly hoisted by Maoists on the premises of Arewada panchayat office in insurgency-hit Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on Wednesday. Some locals spotted the black flag when they went to the panchayat office to hoist a tricolour on the occasion of 72nd Independence Day.

Arewada village is located in Bhamragad taluka in the district. It is around 180 kms from Gadchiroli. “The villagers informed us in the morning that they found a black flag hoisted on the flag post at the panchayat office,” said Suresh Madne, inspector and in-charge of Bhamragad police station.

“Since the village is remotely located, we could not visit it immediately. The village falls under a Naxal-hit region, so there is a possibility that the ultras may lay an ambush and attack the police,” he added.

A gram sevak said he first spotted the black flag when he went to hoist a tricolour as part of the Independence Day celebrations. He, however, did not remove that flag out of fear.