Lakhisarai/Patna: The bullet-ridden body of one of the four policemen taken hostage by Maoists was found in Bihar's Lakhisarai district on Friday and the nightmare continued for the three others with the ultras unrelenting on their demand for release of eight of their jailed colleagues.
The body of Lucas Tete, an assistant sub-inspector of the Bihar Military Police ASI, shot in the chest was found at the Simra Tari Sringirishi dam in Kajra police station area, about 150 km from Patna, Superintendent of Police, R K Mishra said.
A Maoist poster left beside the body, clad in a vest, blue shirt and sarong, read "Time is running out fast and if the state government fails to accede to our demand for releasing eight of our colleagues in jails, the other three will meet a similar fate."
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar under attack from opposition for his alleged failure to handle the situation has convened an all-party meeting here tomorrow to discuss the issue. Former chief minister Lalu Prasad appealed to the Naxals "to come forward for talks."
Self-proclaimed Maoist spokesman Avinash had yesterday claimed to have killed a hostage, sub-inspector Abhay Yadav.
Avinash telephoned media offices here reiterating his claim of killing Yadav, the Manikpur Station House Officer, and renewed his readiness for holding talks with the state government for freeing the hostages after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had yesterday held out an offer of dialogue.
Cobra, CRPF, BMP, STF and SAP of the Bihar police personnel were conducting intensified search for the three other policemen being held by the Maoists, Inspector General (Operations), K S Dwivedi, overseeing the operations, told PTI.
The Maoists had kidnapped sub-inspectors Rupesh Kumar and Yadav, BMP havildar Ehtesham Khan and Tete after the encounter on Sunday, which left eight policemen dead.
They have demanded the release of jailed Maoists Jai Paswan, Vijay Chourasia, Prem Bhuian, Pramod Barnawal, Ramvilas Tanti, Ramesh Tirki, Arjun Koda and Rattu Koda by 10:00 am today.The operations were concentrated in the hilly and forest areas in Dharhara, Kajra and other places in Munger, Jamui and Lakhisarai districts, Dwivedi said.
BSF helicopters with Cobra personnel on board were in the air to locate the kidnapped policemen, he said. Dwivedi said the body of Abhay Yadav, which the Maoists claimed to have left in the forests in Kajra police station area, was yet to be found. The Bihar government has sought an additional 40 companies of central forces for deployment for stepping up operations, official sources told PTI.
In New Delhi, Joint Secretary (Naxal Management) in the Home Affairs Ministry Kashmir Singh said the Centre was providing 'full support' to Bihar government in the operation to rescue the policemen being held hostage.PTI
