A naxal 'area commander' was lynched by villagers in Gaya district this evening when he allegedly tried to torch road construction machinery belonging to a contractor.
Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nishant Tiwary said the lynched Maoist has been identified as Prakash Yadav, a hardcore activist and 'Area Commander' of the outfit in Wazirganj area of the district.
The lynching, having taken place at a spot between Hawai Sthan and Machal Bigha villages, followed Yadav's reportedly demanding levy from a contractor engaged in road construction in this area, Tiwary said quoting villagers' accounts.
When he did not get the money, he along with six to seven other armed Naxals allegedly swooped on the construction camp of the contractor and tried to torch an earth mover machine, the official said.
The SSP said villagers started an argument with the Naxals, who then started firing from their weapons.
The villagers took up sticks and axes and charged towards the activists who then tried to escape towards Chanda Hills located around three km from the construction camp.
"After their ammunition exhausted the villagers caught hold of Yadav and beat him to death," the SSP said.
Yadav's body has been recovered by the police and sent for postmortem. Search is on for his other accomplices, who are said to be hiding in the hilly area.
