Maoists extend deadline for abducted Bihar cops

As the search for the four abducted Bihar policemen intensified, the Maoist hostage-takers have come up with a new deadline of 10 am Thursday to meet their demands.

According to reports, the Maoist rebels are demanding the release of eight of their accomplices and also halt search and combing operations for the abducted cops in the Lakhisarai district of the state.

The cops were nabbed following a fierce gun battle in the district and the rebels set a deadline to the state government of stopping combing operations in the district by 4 pm on Wednesday, failing which they have threatened to execute the hostages.

In retaliation, the state government has launched an intense combing and rescue operation in the area using army helicopters, reports said.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had earlier on Wednesday stated that it was a decision for the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to take.

Calling him the ?man on the ground? Chidambaram had said the Home Ministry would support the Bihar CM in his decisions but his ministry had not been approached yet.

Following the gun battle in which six Bihar Military Police personnel, officer-in-charge of Kawaiya police outpost and a policeman were killed in the Kajra police station area, the Maoists abducted two sub-inspectors, a havildar Ehtesham Khan and a jawan on Sunday.