Abducted Chhattisgarh cops safe: police

RAIPUR - The four abducted Chhattisgarh policemen are still in

Maoist captivity but are safe, police said even as the fresh deadline set by the rebels for fulfilment of their demands ended Wednesday.

Seven policemen were abducted Sep 19 from Bhopalpatnam area of Bijapur, over 500 km from here, close to the Andhra Pradesh border. Three of them were killed a day later, while Assistant Sub-Inspector Sukhram Bhagat as well as Constables B. Toppo, Narendra Bhosle and Subhash Ratre were held hostage.

Though local news channels flashed reports Wednesday saying that the policemen were released in a forested area in the restive Bastar region but officials at the police headquarters here termed the reports as rumour.

“The reports saying that the abducted jawans were released lack evidence…there is no fact and substance in these reports, so far it’s absolutely a rumour,” a senior police official told IANS Wednesday night.

“The Maoists have mainly demanded the immediate halt of the anti-Maoist drive Green Hunt, release of a few people of four villages of Bijapur district arrested on charges of unlawful activities, judicial probe into alleged fake encounters and initiation of peace talks,” Director General of Police (DGP) Vishwa Ranjan said.

“We are making efforts at all levels and are hopeful they (cops) will be released at the earliest,” Deputy Inspector General (police headquarters) Vivekanand Sinha told reporters.

“Reliable sources and inputs confirm the abducted cops are safe,” he added.

After a week of uncertainty over the fate of the abducted policemen, Maoists Sunday evening set a 48-hour deadline for releasing them.

The rebels dropped a few handwritten leaflets in Bijapur district’s interiors stating their demands. The deadline was extended Tuesday evening by another 24 hours.