Gondia: Maoists from Darekasa Area Committee set on fire the Gram Panchayat building at the remote Toyogondi village and destroyed a cabin of BSNL tower at Darekasa (Jamakudo) on Tuesday night.
The violence came ahead of Wednesday's nationwide strike call given by the ultras.
A truck driver got killed when his vehicle overturned between Darekasa and Jamakudo, allegedly after the Maoists shot a tyre of the truck to stop it.
According to police, a group of armed naxals first vandalised the Gram Panchayat building and later set it ablaze.
They also stuck handwritten pamphlets on the trees, electric polls and house walls, asking people to make the bandh successful.
A truck carrying food grains and coming from Bhatapara in neighbouring Chhattisgarh and heading for Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh overturned between Darekasa and Jamakudo; driver Eshwariprasad Teklal Hirendrawar (38), a resident of Bharveli in Balaghat district, was killed.
Locals said that Hirendrawar might have speeded the truck when the naxals tried to stop him, resulting in the accident.
Truck's tyre had been shot, they said. However, Superintendent of Police Chandrakishore Meena said the incident was probably an accident.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 19:19