Kin of a 17-year-old youth, who surrendered before police as a "Naxal", today claimed that he was never associated with the Red movement.
Deorao Hichami of Bhasmantola village from Etapalli taluka surrendered yesterday. He was a member of the Kasansur LOS dalam and surrendered before police in the village when we had gone there to tell the villagers about the surrender policy, Kotmi police Inspector Bharat H Nagre said today.
"He has surrendered on his own will upon which he was brought to Kotmi and is being sent to police head quarters," the officer said.
However, Deorao's cousin Rainu told reporters here that last morning around 50 to 60 policemen came to the village.
"Some 15-16 policemen then came to my house under the pretext of purchasing chicken and asked about Deorao. When I told them that he was sitting in the village square, the cops rushed there and caught hold of him and brought back to home," he said.
"They then took his photo with their own gun on his back and took him to the police station. When we asked cops to why were they taking Deorao to the police station, they asked us to come to the police station after two hours," he said.
"When around 20 men and women from the village went to the Police Station, they were informed that he had surrendered. The police did not listen to our grievances," he said.
"Deorao was never a Naxal. His father died when he was very young. Now he lives with me with his mother and earn livelihood by doing petty works. However the police have unnecessarily declared him to be a Naxal and have shown him to have surrendered", Rainu claimed.
Rainu demanded that police should release him.
"An innocent youth should not be branded as a Naxal," he added.
