Release Maoists for cop's life, Koteshwar Rao asks Govts

Kolkata, Oct 22 (ANI): Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao on Thursday asked both the West Bengal and the Union Governments to halt police action or risk harm to kidnapped police officer Attendranath Dutta.

Maoists, who shot dead two other officers on Tuesday, abducted Dutta from a police station. The ultras who came on motorbikes, also looted over Rs. nine lakh from a nearby State Bank of India branch before escaping.

Rao issued this threat while speaking to a private news channel from an undisclosed location.

Rao who is also known as Kishanji among the Maoist cadres said that if Dutta is killed it is not the Maoists responsibility as clearly the Centre and the State Government has no value for the life of the hostage.

Rao also said his group would produce the Dutta soon and added that Dutta's family is free to meet him anytime.

A day after the red ultra's killed two policemen and kidnapped another officer Attendranath Dutta, Maoists in West Bengal's Midnapore District remained firm that they would not release Dutta until their cadres arrested in Lalgarh are freed.

However, they also said that they are going to treat the officers as Prisoners of War and would not hurt them.

On Wednesday, State Government declared that they would get the kidnapped policemen released at any cost. (ANI)