Maoists abduct five civilians in Jharkhand

Garhwa, Feb 14 (ANI): Maoists abducted a railway station master and four members of a family in two separate incidents in Jharkhand's Garhwa District on Sunday.

A. K. Singh, the stationmaster at Kechki railway station, and Surinder, a porter, was abducted by the Maoists on Sunday morning.

According to Surinder, who was later left free, the Maoists made a monetary demand from Singh.

"Four people came with their faces covered. Two of them stayed outside the office and we could not see them at first as we were inside the office. One of them showed a revolver and asked about money. We told them that we do not have any money. Then they asked us to walk out of the office and took us towards the river," he said.

According to railway employees, a sense of fear is prevailing in the region, since it is not the first incident of abduction.

The railway employees have demanded assistance from the local administration in this regard.

In another incident, a group of about 60 Maoists from the banned Bharatiya Communist Party abducted four members of a family in Bhawanathpur town of the state.

"The Maoists have abducted our master's son. They forcefully opened the doors. About 50-60 people had come," said Putli Devi, a local and an eyewitness.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Richard Lakda confirmed that the banned Maoist outfit did the abduction.

"Four people have been abducted from Bhawanathpur. Maoist outfits did these abductions, Munda Vishwakarma gang, which has its roots in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh," he said. By Neel Kamal (ANI)