Gadchiroli/Mumbai(IANS) : Security has been tightened around the Aheri residence of Dharmarao Baba Atram, Maharashtra’s transport minister, following a Maoist threat to blow up the house.
The minister, who represents the Maoist-infested Aheri assembly constituency in Gadchiroli district, already has Z category security cover. Now the vigil around his residence has been stepped up, District Superintendent of Police Rajesh Pradhan told IANS Tuesday.
Atram received the threat on his mobile phone Monday while he was in his office at Mantralaya. The caller, identifying himself as a Maoist from Bhadrachalam in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, accused the minister of gobbling up money meant for tribal welfare and threatened to blow up his residence.
The minister immediately informed the Mantralaya security in-charge and the state home minister following which telephone calls and visitors to his office were being screened more carefully, sources said.
“I challenged the caller to prove that I have misappropriated any funds and offered to surrender everything I have to them if they could do it,” Atram told IANS.
“Upon this, the caller said they would blow up my house to eliminate me and my family. I told him they could do what they liked.”
Maoists kidnapped Atram in 1991 and later let him off in exchange for the release of their leader Shivanna. It was then rumoured that Atram had got himself kidnapped in order to secure Shivanna’s release. The Maoist leader was killed in a police encounter two years ago.
“The canard was spread by my rivals. I have always served the tribals in the district and worked for the development of the backward region incurring the Maoists’ wrath,” said Atram, who belongs to erstwhile royal family of Aheri.