By IANS,
Ranchi : Residents of a Jharkhand village lynched three Maoist rebels who attempted to abduct a contractor but failed, police said Monday.
The rebels abducted Sanjay Mahto, a contractor involved in constructing a panchayat building, Sunday night from Hesalpidi village, around 45 km from Ranchi district headquarters. They demanded extortion money, but Mahto managed to escape and informed the villagers, a police official said.
Hundreds of villagers came to the contractor’s aid and prevented the Maoists from escaping. The rebels opened fire, injuring two people. Angry villagers then surrounded the trio and beat them to death. They later informed the police about the incident, the official said.
The injured have been admitted to hospital and are said to be critical.
In a separate incident, eight rebels belonging to the People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI) were arrested in Khuti district, an official said.
Maoist rebels are active in 18 of Jharkhand’s 24 districts. In the last seven to eight years, more than 1,450 people have been killed in Maoist related violence.