M A I N   N E W S

Maoists begin killing of abducted cops in Bihar
Sanjay Singh/TNS

Patna, September 2
With the Naxals claiming today to have killed one of the cops from Bihar Police held hostage by them since the Lakhisarai encounter on Sunday, the situation seems to have taken a serious turn.

The self-proclaimed spokesman of the Naxal outfit (CPI-Maoist), Avinash, called up mediapersons in Lakhisarai and Munger to say that they had killed sub-inspector Abhay Yadav, one of the four cops held hostage by them, after expiry of their extended deadline at 3 pm today.

He also talked about sending the body of the slain police officer at an appropriate place according to their convenience.

Avinash, on behalf of his outfit, has been demanding immediate release of eight of his comrades languishing in the jails of Lakhisarai and Munger in exchange of the four policemen, including two sub-inspectors.

The Maoists had also called up the family members of two of the abducted sub-inspectors, asking them to pressurise the Chief Minister to concede to their demands at once or else they would lose their kin. But the state police top brass were finding it difficult to break the ice on media reports alone.

However, DGP Neelmani said he was still not ready to believe that one of his men held hostage had been killed by the captors.

“How can we believe such reports and claims unless and until someone from the outfit or on their behalf talks to us,” Neelmani said. Moreover, the body of the slain sub-inspector was yet to be located, he added.