Maoists Release Three Abducted Policemen in Bihar

Maoists today released the three abducted Bihar policemen in Lakhisarai district, bringing an end to the nine-day-old hostage crisis. The three policemen ---- Abhay Prasad Yadav, Rupesh Kumar Sinha and Ehshan Khan, who were taken hostage on August 29, were freed by the ultras this morning on the border of Kajra-Chanan forests and hills, about 165 kms from the state capital.

Bihar C.M Nitish Kumar with Injured Soldire

The Maoists had earlier killed one of the captive policemen, Lucas Tete. His body was found on Friday.

"All the three kidnapped policemen have been released by the Maoists from the Kajra-Chanan forest in Lakhisarai district after the police sealed the escape routes of the ultras in the forests and hills," Director General of Police Neelmani told PTI. Sub-Inspector of Police and Station House Officer of Manikpur police station Yadav, SI Sinha and BMP Havildar Khan were with the Superintendent of Police (Lakhisarai), Ranjit Kumar Mishra, he said. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had offered talks with the ultras on the hostage crisis and even expressed the state government''s readiness to provide them safe passage for talks, heaved a sigh of relief after Neelmani informed him about the development.

Seven Maoists, including a self-styled area commander and mastermind of the Lakhisarai incident Pintu Das, have been arrested in the last few days during the intense search operations that were launched by the security forces in the hills and forests of Munger, Lakhisarai, Jamui, Banka and Kaimur districts.

Maoists Hit again on Civilians, 150 Dead, 200 Injured

At least twenty passengers were killed and 150 injured when suspected Maoists blasted rail tracks in West Midnapore district early today derailing 13 coaches of a Mumbai-bound express train, five of which were hit by a speeding goods train. 

Twenty of the bodies were extricated from the mangled coaches of the Howrah-Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express after the 13 coaches derailed with five toppling over an adjacent track, Additional Superintendent of Police, Jhargram, Mukesh Kumar said. 

In New Delhi, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai told PTI that 65 passengers were killed and 200 injured and the toll might go up. 

"We suspect Maoist hand behind the blast," Vivek Sahai, Member (Traffic), Railway Board, said. 

The blast occurred at 1:30 am when the train was running between Khemasoli and Sardiya stations, about 135 km from here, South Eastern Railway officials said. 

SER PRO Soumitra Majumdar said that the express train had in all 24 coaches. After the explosion, 13 including 10 sleeper coaches, derailed of which five were hit by the goods train coming on the opposite track. 

An unreserved coach, the pantry car and luggage van also derailed, he said. 

Railway officials used gas cutter to extricate trapped passengers and bodies from the mangled remains of the affected coaches. Passengers belongings lay strewn scattered on the tracks. 

Angry passengers said the first signs of relief came only around 5 am, three-and-a-half hours after the incident. 

Nine of the coaches which were undamaged took the injured and the other passengers to Kharagpur where they were admitted to hospital. 

Sahai said that railway had were in touch with the Indian air force to airlift passengers who were seriously injured. 

Anti-Maoist forces were at the spot and assisting the police and rescue personnel in extricating the bodies from four badly damaged sleeper coaches S-5, S-6, S-7 and S-8. 

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the spot. She announced Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of each of the dead and Rs 1 lakh for the injured. 

Senior railway officials including Railway Board Chairman S S Khurana and DG RPF rushed to the spot. 

A relief train left Kharagpur with a team of 12 doctors and 20 paramedics as also two doctors from the Kalaikunda airbase, the officials said. 

Helplines have been set up at Kharagpur -- (0322) 255751 and 255735, Howrah - (033) 26382217, besides a toll free number 10722. 

Helplines have also been set up at Tatanagar (0657) 2290324, 2290074, 2290382, at Rourkela (0661) 2511155, Chakradharpur (06587) 238072 and Jharsuguda (06445)

Credit: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com 

Image Credit: http://ndtv.com