Buckling under pressure from the militant wing of the Maoist-backed Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC), the family members of the school principal who was abducted by the outfit on March 5 from Sarulia village in Bankura district openly criticised the security operations launched by the Centre and the State government on Monday.
The family appealed to the administration to unconditionally release the PSBJC supporters arrested in connection with the killing of a police officer on February 25.
The Sidhu-Kanu Gana Militia, a militant wing of the PSBJC, told the sons of Ranjit Duley, the abducted school principal, to publicly condemn the State government in order to secure the release of their father.
Speaking to The Hindu over telephone from their home, Golak Duley, one of Mr. Duley's three sons, said: “We received a call from Sidhu Soren [commander of the Gana Militia] on Sunday and he asked us to criticise the security operations through the media in order to release our father. So we did likewise and are hoping for the best.”
Pleads for mercy
Mr. Golak Duley said that during his conversation with Mr. Soren, he tried to convince the latter that his father was not affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for the last four years and pleaded with the abductor for mercy.
He added that no State government representative had visited their home since the abduction.
