Maoists kill 1 cop, three more to go
Patna: Hours after Maoists claimed they had killed one of the four abducted policemen and threatened to kill the others if eight jailed colleagues were not released, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar offered talks with the Maoists, assuring safe passage to the negotiators.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pleaded helplessness in the Maoist abduction case.
Maoist spokesman Avinash, in telephone calls to local TV channel Sadhna and some journalists, said Sub-Inspector Abhay Prasad Yadav had been killed. He warned that they would kill the remaining three policemen -- SI Rupesh Kumar Sinha, BMP Jamadar Lucas Tete and BMP Havildar Ehsan Ahmed -- if the Bihar government did not release eight Maoists by Friday.
In a gunbattle in Lakhisarai that lasted nearly 12 hours on Sunday, Maoists killed eight policemen and abducted four. Thirty of 38 districts in state are Maoist-affected.
Bihar police spokesperson P K Thakur told The Indian Express: "So far, we have no confirmation of SI Abhay Yadav's murder. We still have no knowledge of a deadline. Our job is to rescue our men. There is no change in our stand. We are intensifying the operation."
But other sources said "Abhay Yadav was killed at 4.17 pm on Thursday. The Maoists, numbering only around 50, killed him as police got closer to them in the area between Chhotki Sawasin and Badki Sawasin hills."
In New Delhi, Union Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai said the Bihar government was trying its best to secure the release of the policemen taken hostage.
File photo of Abhay Yadav, one of the four policemen kidnapped by Maoists from Lakhisarai in Bihar. The Maoists on Thursday claimed to have killed one of the hostages after the state government allegedly failed to comply with their demands. PTI
"The state government has been making all efforts to secure the release of the police personnel who have been taken hostage and we are hopeful of an outcome to the negotiations," Pillai told reporters.
In Patna, Nitish Kumar said: "We are ready for talks to secure the release of the policemen being held hostage... we are ready to give full protection to anyone from their side (Maoists) coming for talks... we will bear the expenses that they incur to and from here."
Saying "talks pave way for solutions in a democratic set-up," Kumar said: "I want to know (from Maoists) what is the fault of the policemen (in captivity). Naxals should remember that our government took care of human rights of arrested Naxals. We even sent them for treatment outside Bihar. They should treat our policemen the same way. Bargaining after abducting policemen is not fair and not a good sign in democracy."
The wife (L) and daughter of police officer Abhay Yadav mourn after hearing news about the claim by Maoists that he has been killed, in Patna on Thursday. PTI
Maoists Thursday killed Abhay Kumar Yadav, one of the four Bihar policemen they abducted four days ago, following a decision by a 'jan adalat' or kangaroo court. The Leftwing rebels killed Yadav six hours after their second deadline - at 10 a.m. -expired.
After killing Yadav, a sub-inspector, the Maoists said the fate of the remaining three policemen would be decided by 10 a.m. Friday if the state government failed to initiate a dialogue or negotiate with them.
Avinash, a self-proclaimed Maoist spokesman, told a local TV news channels that Yadav was killed after a decision was taken in a 'jan adalat'. "The Bihar government compelled us to kill Yadav as the second deadline expired," he said. Avinash said that Yadav's body will be handed over by Thursday night.
Yadav's wife Rajni was staging a sit-in outside Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence. The other three policemen are Rupesh Kumar Sinha, Lukas Gete and Ehsan Khan. The Maoists have said the policemen would be killed unless eight jailed Maoist leaders were released.
Relatives of policeman Lucas Tete, kidnapped by Maoists in Bihar, before their journey to Patna to meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for Tete's release, in Ranchi on Thursday. PTI
The families of the policemen have been desperately pleading with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for help. Avinash said that after the deadline to release their jailed leaders expired at 10 a.m. Thursday, top leaders of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) had been informed about the decision to hold a jan adalat.
The guerrillas had earlier set a deadline of 4 p.m. Wednesday. Avinash later told local Hindi news channels they had decided to extend it till Thursday in view of appeals by the family members of the abducted policemen.
The rebels had abducted the policemen in a six-hour gunfight in Lakhisarai district Sunday. The gunbattle left seven policemen dead and 10 injured. Maoists claimed the gunfight was in retaliation for the killing of their leader Azad and a journalist.
The Maoists have also warned the Bihar government of more violent attacks if the operations against Maoists were not immediately stopped.
The Maoists have demanded the release of their leaders held in police captivity in exchange for the hostages. Three cops are still being held in Maoist captivity. While denouncing the killing of Abhay Kumar, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "What is their fault? We will not give in to the demands of the maoists."
The search operation to trace the abducted policemen continued for the fourth consecutive day. They were kidnapped by Maoists during an encounter with security forces in Lakhisarai district. Meanwhile, the Bihar police said it had vital clues about where the security men were being kept.
The Maoists said the fate of the remaining three policemen would be decided by 10 a.m. Friday if the state government failed to initiate a dialogue or negotiate with them.
Bihar talking to Maoists to release captured cops: Centre
Union Home Secretary G K Pillai on Thursday said the Bihar Government is trying its best to secure the release of the four policemen kidnapped by Maoists from Lakhisarai District.
Talking to reporters here, Pillai said: "The state government has been making all efforts to secure the release of the police personnel who have been taken hostage and we are hopeful that there would be an outcome to the negotiations."
Avinash, a self-proclaimed Maoist spokesman, had in a communication to the chief minister's official residence in Patna conveyed the deadline of 4 pm yesterday for release of the eight Maoists, failing which, he said, the four policemen would be killed. The deadline was later extended till 10 am today.
The Maoists had kidnapped sub-inspectors Rupesh Kumar and Abhay Prasad Yadav, BMP havildar Ehtesham Khan and BMP ASI Lucas Tete after the encounter. Six Bihar Military Police personnel, officer-in-charge of Kawaiya police outpost Bhulan Yadav and a policeman were killed in the gunfight with Maoists in the Kajra police station area.
Meanwhile, several political parties and organisations, besides the relatives have appealed to the ultras to ensure unconditional release of the policemen. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a high-level meeting on Thursday with top state officials to discuss the measures taken for securing the release of the kidnapped security personnel.
The guerrillas had earlier set a deadline of 4 p.m. Wednesday. Avinash later told local Hindi news channels they had decided to extend it till Thursday in view of appeals by the family members of the abducted policemen.
Principal Secretary (Home) Amir Subhani, Director General of Police Neelmani and Additional Director General of Police (headquarters) PK Thakur attended the meeting, officials said.
Source: The Indian Express
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