Jharkhand: 4 mines department officials 'abducted' by Maoists

CHAIBASA (Jharkhand): Four officials of Jharkhand Mines Department were suspected to have been kidnapped by Maoists in West Singhbhum district on Thursday.

According to superintendent of police Narendra Kumar Singh, four officials were suspected to have been kidnapped around 4pm by Maoists from Roro's asbestos mines under Muffasil police station near Chaibasa, the headquarters town of West Singhbhum district.

The officials did not inform the local police station before visiting the mine area, he said, adding that the security forces had surrounded the area and a search operation was on to locate them.

The Maoists in January also abducted officials of rural development department in Giridh area but released them later.

The abduction has come out just few days ahead of third phase polling which is on December 9. The voters have already defied Maoist call for poll boycott and turned out in large number in the first two phase of the polling.

The five-phase Assembly poll in Jharkhand will come to an end on December 20 and results will be declared on December 23.

OneIndia News