Hounded from all sides by an intensified joint operation led by the police and CRPF, the Maoists in Bihar on Tuesday safely released the seven Bihar poll officials they had held hostage for two days soon after triggering a landmine blast that had killed a man and injured an official.
But heightened fears about possible Maoist attacks during the remaining phase of panchayat polls prompted an anxious Bihar state election commission to put off the polls slated to be held on Wednesday in five Maoist-affected districts. A shortage of paramilitary forces to tackle the situation was said to be a reason behind the postponement of the polls.
The seven officials, who were taken hostage following the landmine blast in Jamui district on Sunday morning, found themselves freed in a village in Kauwakol block of Nawada district early on Tuesday morning as the Maoists themselves ran away to safety. Bihar DGP Neelmani said the joint combing operation conducted by the armed units of the district police, the Bihar Military Police, Special Auxiliary Police, Special Task Force and CRPF managed to secure the seven hostages’ safe release.
Sources said chief minister Nitish Kumar had been quietly monitoring the situation along with chief secretary Anup Mukherjee and the DGP over the past two days. The released hostages said they were blindfolded and moved from place to place.