Maoists 'kill' abducted cop

Nitish buckles to offer talks; insurgents set Friday deadline for 3 other captives

The government’s move has exposed not only chinks in the administration’s armour but also the insurgents’ resolve to carry out threats.

Since Monday, when it came under intense pressure following the abduction of four policemen, who were among 40 overpowered by more than 200 Maoist guerrillas in Lakhisarai district, 150 kilometres from here, after a gun battle, the state government hardly made any moves to secure their release.

The Naxals had demanded the release of eight of their comrades in exchange for setting free the policemen, including sub-inspector Abhay Kumar Yadav and had set Wednesday afternoon as the deadline. When the Nitish Kumar administration, which had initially said it would take coercive steps against the Maoists, failed to respond, the insurgents executed Yadav.

The three other policemen who continue to remain in captivity are Ehtesham Khan (BMP havildar), Rupesh Kumar (sub-inspector) and Lokus Tete (BMP trooper).

After killing Yadav, a Maoist spokesman who identified himself as Avinash Kumar, threatened the execution of the other three if the insurgents’ demand, which has been revised to the release of four Naxal commanders, was not met by 10 am Friday.

Warning
“In case the government fails to concede to our demands by tomorrow (Friday) morning, the rest three policemen will also meet the same fate as that of Yadav,” the spokesperson said.

The Bihar government’s inability to free the policemen and Yadav’s execution is symptomatic of the problem that the Centre too is faced with.

Despite executions of policemen in the past, most notably in Jharkhand, killing of CRPF jawans in Chhatisgarh, attacks on security forces in West Bengal, blowing up train tracks and police installations elsewhere, efforts have been underway to open peace negotiations, but they remain stalemated.

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, elite members of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA), as part of combing operation, surrounded the hideouts of the Naxalites in the Lakhisarai jungle and the Maoists then reportedly scaled down their demand and agree to free the cops if they were given a safe passage.

Claiming that search operations have been itensified to secure the release of the three hostages, Director General of Police Neelmani said there was no evidence of the ultras having killed Yadav. Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) P K Thakur also did not confirm Yadav’s killing, saying he had no official communication in this regard.

The Maoists’ fresh demand split the armed guerrillas. But even before the government could react, reports poured in that sub-inspector Abhay Yadav, whose wife and children were sitting on dharna near Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence for the last two days, was killed.

Centre’s assurance
In New Delhi, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said “the state government is now negotiating with the Maoists and, therefore, we are extending full cooperation and we hope that there would be a successful outcome.” It is, however, not known at what level the negotiation channels have been opened.

Later on Thursday evening, Nitish said he was ready for talks with the Naxalites.

“This type of hostage drama was quite unethical. Naxalites are part of our society. But what is the fault of those cops whom they have held hostage for the last three days. I am ready for talks but it should be within the framework of our Constitution,” he said.
The chief minister did not confirm Yadav’s execution, but appealed to the rebels to keep human rights in mind before doing any harm to the abducted policemen.

“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.

Police’s failure
What has shocked the state is the police’s failure to locate and secure an early release of the four policemen even though their families virtually laid siege at the chief minister’s residence and pleaded with him to have them freed.

Nitish, who was all fire and brimstone till Wednesday, sounded more realistic on Thursday, saying: “We are ready to give full protection to anyone from their side (Maoists) coming for talks ... we will bear the expenses that they incur to and from here.”