Latehar, Jharkhand, Jan 24: Maoists today claimed to have set free Garhwa zilla parishad chairperson Sushma Mehta and two others, but kept her security guard in their custody.
“We have released the chairperson, her driver Ahmed and CPI (ML-Liberation) leader Akhtar Ansari at a spot. They will be reaching their residences by this evening,” CPI (Maoist) leader Sudhir said over phone in Latehar.
He said Mehta's security guard Sunesh Ram was still in their custody and would be freed only after their conditions were met.
Sudhir, who did not disclose the area where the trio was set free, had on Sunday owned responsibility for their abduction.
He had said they would be freed only after the shifting of three base camps set up at Sarju, Odya and Kone in Latehar district and ending police operations against them.
Mehta's husband had said that his wife and the three were in a car soon after the Maoists triggered the landmine blast that killed 13 policemen near Bariganwa forest in Garhwa district on January 21.
Police, however, said they had no information about any kidnapping after the blast.
Garhwa SP Michael S Raj said Sunesh Ram was a constable with the district police.
Ram was deputed as the security guard of the zilla parishad chairperson, he said.
His family informed police that he had not reached home, but denied any knowledge of his abduction as claimed by the Maoists.
