Jharkhand: 4 cops allegedly abducted by 'Patthalgarhi' supporters rescued

Ranchi, June 29: The four policemen who were abducted from the residence of Khunti BJP MP Kariya Munda have been rescued, said reports. The search operation to find the missing cops was launched on Tuesday itself, but it is not yet clear from where the missing policemen were rescued.

The policemen were allegedly abducted by Patthalgarhi movement supporters on Tuesday from Anigada-Chandih.

Deputy Inspector General of Police A V Homkar said that four policemen were rescued from Diling Bara area in Khunti district this morning.

"All of them are safe," he said.

Earlier police had given the number of abducted policemen as three.

The BJP MP was not at his residence when the cops were abducted on Tuesday. Speaking to news agency ANI on Wednesday, Munda had said that there was no doubt that the abductors were supporters of the Pathalgadi movement.

Abduction of the policemen had led to a stand-off between the police and Patthalgarhi supporters for nearly 18 hours in Ghaghra village in Khunti. Following inputs that the abducted policemen had been kept there, the police had stormed the village Wednesday morning, but could not find them.

Patthalgarhi, a traditional tribal practice to commemorate ancestors, has been used as a form of protest by some in Jharkhand, who claim that the gram sabha is the supreme power and dissuade people from acknowledging the government.