Abducted cop Lucas Gete’s body found in Bihar forest

PATNA - The body of Lucas Gete, one of the four policemen abducted by Maoist guerrillas five days ago, was found in a Bihar forest Friday, a day after the rebels claimed to have killed Sub-Inspector Abhay Kumar Yadav, police said.

The body found in a forest in Lakhisarai district is of Lucas Gete and not of Abhay Kumar Yadav as reported earlier, Deputy Inspector General of Munger Shah Rukh Majeed confirmed.

The body has been taken to a nearby police station, an official said.

There is no confirmation about the fate of Yadav.

According to local news channels, the body was found near Simratali forest under Chanan police station in Lakhisarai.

Villagers reportedly said Maoists had left a handwritten poster near the body, warning that they would not talk with the government any more.

Maoists had claimed to have killed Yadav at around 4 p.m. Thursday, six hours after the expiry of the Maoists’ second deadline of 10 a.m. The killing took place following a decision by a ‘jan adalat’ or kangaroo court, a Maoist spokesperson had said.

Four Bihar policemen - Gete, Yadav, Rupesh Kumar Sinha and Ehsan Khan - were kidnapped kidnapped by Maoists 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.

The Maoists said the policemen would be killed unless eight jailed Maoist leaders were released.