Patna:
The three kidnapped Bihar policemen Rupesh Kumar Sinha, Mohammad Ehsaan and Abhay Yadav are still in Maoist custody. And now, putting more pressure on the Bihar government, a Maoist spokesperson Avinash has claimed that their Central committee has rejected the government's talks offer.
"We reject the Bihar government's talks offer. We will free the three hostage cops on Sunday, will only tell their families where they will be released. Those arrested today by the police are ordinary villagers, they are innocent," Avinash said.
His comments came hours after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar convened an all-party meeting on Saturday to discuss the crisis. After the two-hour-long meeting, Nitish appealed to the Maoists not to harm the hostages and offered safe passage to the Naxals for talks. (
Read and watch: Don't harm hostages, Nitish appeals to Naxals)
"We want to have face-to-face talk with the Maoists. We will provide a safe passage to the Maoists during talks," Nitish said.
Avinash also claimed that the three hostage cops will be freed on Sunday. The Naxals have, meanwhile, claimed that these men are safe.
But 24 hours after the last Naxal deadline expired, there was also a big breakthrough for the police who arrested two key Naxals - Pintu Da, a local area commander, and Bahadur Yadav - both involved in the Lakhisarai operation. (
Read: 2 Maoists involved in kidnapping held)
Eight other suspected Naxals were also picked up near the site of Sunday's encounter. The Bihar Police have, meanwhile, intensified their combing operations in the forests of Lakhisarai.
But for the policemen's families, the nightmare continues. In Simdega, the funeral of Lokas Tete the Havaldar killed by Naxals took place and in Patna the wife of Havaldar Ehsaan who is still being held captive made a desperate appeal to the Chief Minister.
"I want to tell Nitish ji that for his own security he has cordoned two km around his own house, no one can go beyond that but I want to ask him that if my husband was his son or brother or nephew would he do the same thing? So I want to tell him that I want my husband to be back as early as possible in the condition that he left," said his wife.