Dead cop is Tete, not Yadav, says Bihar DIG

The bullet-ridden body of Assistant Sub-Inspector Lucas Tete, who was among the four cops abducted by Naxals after an encounter in Lakhisarai, Bihar, was recovered near a forest in the district early Friday morning.

It was earlier reported that the body was that of another abducted cop, Sub-Inspector Abhay Yadav. However, Munger DIG (Police) Shahrukh Maeed confirmed that body was of Lucas Tete.

The Maoists had claimed to have executed Tete on Thursday, hours after the deadline given by the Left-wing extremists to the state government to meet their demands expired.

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Avinash, a self-proclaimed Maoist spokesman, said: "The government compelled us to kill him, as there was no move on the part of the government to initiate dialogue or negotiations, six hours after the deadline expired on Thursday."

When contacted, ADG (Headquarters) P K Thakur said they had received information about a body lying in Simra Tari Kodasi forest under Kajra police station "but it was found later that it was not that of Abhay Yadav".

Local police later confirmed that the body was that of Tete.

But a leaflet was pasted on the body threatening that the other hostages would meet a similar fate.

Avinash had called up media offices in Patna on Thursday, claiming that one of the policemen had been killed after the deadline for freeing ultras ended.

Maoists have threatened to execute the remaining three by 10 am on Friday if their demand for freeing eight ultras in jail was not conceded.

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"We killed him. We warn the state government to release our comrades till 10 am on Friday morning, failing which we will kill all three policemen," the spokesman said.

As reports of killing of Sub-Inspector Abhay Yadav came in, Kumar had on Thursday said that his government was ready for talks with the ultras.

"We are ready for talks for securing the release of the policemen being held hostages by the Maoists," he said, adding, "We need to think with seriousness on this issue. I don't know what mistakes the cops had made. By taking people hostage, I don't know what example the Naxals are trying to set."

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Maoists also want security forces to be withdrawn from Naxal areas in exchange for the policemen's freedom.

The Maoists had kidnapped sub-inspectors Rupesh Kumar and Abhay Prasad Yadav, BMP havildar Ehtesham Khan and BMP ASI Lucas Tete after the encounter in Kajra police station area on Sunday, which had left eight policemen dead.