Nitish for parleys as Maoists up the ante
PTI
PATNA, SEPT 2
Building pressure on the Bihar government, Maoists today claimed to have killed one of the four policemen taken hostage after which Chief Minister Nitish Kumar offered to hold talks with the ultras, even providing them safe passage.
Maoists threatened to execute the remaining three by 10 a.m. tomorrow if their demands for freeing eight ultras in jail were not conceded.
As reports of killing of Sub-Inspector Abhay Yadav came in, Kumar said his government was ready for talks with the ultras. “We are ready for talks for securing the release of the policemen being held hostages by the Maoists,” he said on the sidelines of a function here.
“We need to think with seriousness on this issue. I don’t know what mistakes the cops had made. By taking people hostage, I don’t know what example the Naxals are trying to set,” he said.
Avinash, a self-proclaimed Maoist spokesman, telephoned media offices here, claiming that one of the Yadavs had been killed after the deadline for freeing ultras ended today.
Maoists also want that security forces should be withdrawn from Naxal areas in exchange for the policemen’s freedom.
Director General of Bihar Police Neelmani, however, said there was no evidence of the ultras taking the extreme step. “Search operations have been intensified for the hostages,” he said.
The Maoists had kidnapped sub-inspectors Rupesh Kumar and Abhay Prasad Yadav, BMP havildar Ehtesham Khan and BMP ASI Lucas Tete after the encounter in Kajra police station area on Sunday, which had left eight policemen dead.
Families of the four policemen pleaded with the chief minister to save the hostages.
