Maoists extend deadline for release of abducted BDO

The CPI (Maoist) extended by 24 hours their deadline which ended 6 pm on Tuesday for fulfilment of demands to set free the abducted BDO of Dalbhumgarh even as the Jharkhand Government agreed to relook into the allegation that some persons were “falsely implicated and arrested.”

The spokesman of the Bengal-Jharkhand-Orissa Border Regional Committee of CPI (Maoist) Rakeshji said the outfit had extended the deadline till 6 pm on Wednesday for the Government to fulfil their demands to release Prashant Kumar Layek.

He said, “We assure the security and safety of Layek only for next 24 hours till 6 pm tomorrow and the Jharkhand Government should give in writing regarding fulfilment of our demands including unconditional release of 14 people.”

Jharkhand Home Secretary J.B. Tubid told

PTI here that “the Government will have a relook into their (the Maoists') allegation that some persons were falsely implicated.”

Mr. Tubid, however, refuted reports by some news channels that the Government had agreed to two of the Maoist demands, including the removal of East Singhbhum Superintendent of Police.

“No, it is wrong,” the Home Secretary said.

Rakeshji told PTI that the decision to extend the deadline was taken at a Jan Adalat. The Jharkhand Cabinet should take a decision about our demands, he said while rejecting the police assurance to re-investigate the cases against the arrested Maoists.

“We are not ready to pay heed to the police assurance as the issues have to be solved politically,” he said.

The extension of the deadline comes hours after the BDO’s wife threatened self-immolation along with her daughter if the Maoists harmed her husband.

Mr. Layek was abducted from his office chamber at Dalhumgarh in East Singhbhum district on Saturday.

Regarding Mr. Layek’s health, Rakeshji said “the kidnapped official is healthy so far.”

He said he could not fulfil the promise made to the officer’s wife Julie Bharti that he will arrange a talk with her husband. “We are unable to move out to a suitable place to get the phone connection for talks owing to massive deployment of security personnel.”

Rakeshji demanded that the Government should withdraw forces from Ghorabandha police station area and stop search operation, besides release of all the 14 arrested by police.

Rs. 10 lakh as compensation to the family members of Sanjiv alias Somen Munda, who was allegedly killed by the Nagrik Suraksha Samity (NSS)-Police nexus at Jiyan on Sunday last, was another demand stated by the Maoist leader.

He also demanded a written assurance from the State Government with regard to the dismissal of police officials involved in the killing of Munda and arrest of NSS president Shankar Hembram.