Bihar government offers talks with Maoists

PATNA - After an all-party meet held here, the state government Saturday asked the Maoists to release the three abducted Bihar policemen and said it was ready for dialogue with them over the issue.

The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had appealed to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to call an all-party meeting to discuss the situation after Maoists killed Lucas Tete, one of the four policemen kidnapped after a six-hour gunfight in Lakhisarai district Sunday.

The gunbattle left seven policemen dead and 10 injured. Maoists claimed the gunfight was in retaliation for the killing of their leader Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad and a journalist on the night of July 1-2 in Andhra Pradesh.