The four policemen kidnapped by Maoists from Bhopalapatnam in Chhattisgarh, have been released. “All four cops have been freed and handed over to local mediapersons who had been mediating for their release,” said Dantewada District’s senior superintendent of police, S.R.P. Kalluri.
The four policemen are assistant sub-inspector Sukhruram Bhagat and constables Narendra Bhosale, Subhash Patre and B. Toppo. Seven policemen were abducted by Naxals on September 19 from Bhopalpatnam near Chhattisgarh-Andhra border.
The bodies of three policemen were found a day later from a dense forest in Bijapur district of the Bastar region. The Maoists had demanded withdrawal of Operation Green Hunt, release of jailed cadres, immediate halt to police action and initiation of peace talks. However, the government did not meet any of these demands.
Earlier on August 29, Maoists took captive four policemen in Bihar when a police party went to raid their hideout in a deep jungle. Seven policemen died in the encounter. They released the cops after nine days, but not before they killed one of them, Lucas Tete.
Chhattisgarh and Bihar are among half a dozen worst hit states by Maoists’ violence.