Lucas Tete’s wife, daughters in state of shock

PATNA - Slain policeman Lucas Tete’s wife Pyari and three grown up daughters fainted several times in shock on receiving the news that his bullet-riddled body was found in a forest in Bihar Friday.

Pyari Tete and her daughters fainted time and again after they were informed about Lucas’ body being found, a woman police official told IANS. His daughters were sobbing inconsolably.

Anjula, the eldest daughter, said her father was everything to the family. “Our happiness was snatched and we have been left alone,” she said.

Pyari along with her daughters left Ranchi Thursday night and arrived in Patna Friday morning to meet Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to appeal to him to rescue Lucas Tete. But fate had something else in store for them.

Before they could meet the chief minister, they were told that Lucas was killed by Maoists and his body was found in the Simratali forests of Lakhisarai district, about 150 km from Patna.

A police official, who accompanied Lucas’ family members from Patna to Lakhisarai in a vehicle, said they were in a state of shock and speechless.

Pyari had Thursday threatened to immolate herself if the government failed to rescue her husband in the next two days.

Tete’s body was taken to a nearby police station and then to the Lakhisarai district headquarters. He was given a guard of honour by police officials in Lakhisarai. The body will be sent to Simdega, his home district in Jharkhand.

Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) P.K. Thakur told reporters in Patna that it was unfortunate that Tete was killed, adding that police operations were on to rescue the three other abducted policemen.

He said combing operations had been intensified in Lakhisarai, Jamui, Banka and Munger districts.

Another official added that scores of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were scouring the forests, hoping to find a clue to the whereabouts of the other hostages.

Police officials said the state government had requested three more helicopters from the Border Security Force (BSF) as one helicopter was already engaged in the operations against the Maoists since Tuesday.