Maoists free abducted railway employees

Ranchi, May 14 (IANS) Three railway employees abducted by Maoist rebels Tuesday night were set free early Thursday morning, a police official said.

Hendegir station manager Lalit Prasad and deputy station managers Anil Kumar and Sunil Tete were found near Sayal village under Keredari police station in Hazaribagh district, 130 km from Ranchi.

The Maoist rebels had abducted six railway employees from Hendegir railway station in Hazaribagh district Tuesday night. Three of them had been released the same night.

Jharkhand police had launched combing operation to rescue the three, and police officials claimed this built pressure on rebels, forcing them to release the abducted employees.

According to police sources, the railway employees were abducted as they had refused to pay the rebels a levy on railway work. The three have been taken to Keredari police station, where police were inquiring about the abduction.

Last year, Maoists had abducted four railway employees including the station manager from Macluskiganj railway station. The four were released after four days.

Maoist rebels are active in 18 of the 24 districts of Jharkhand. Nearly 1,500 people have been killed in Maoist related violence in the last eight years.