By IANS,
Ranchi : Maoists late Monday released six road construction labourers whom they had abducted in Jharkhand’s Giridih district, police said Tuesday.
“Maoist guerrillas, facing pressure because of police operations, released the abducted labourers in a jungle area coming under the Bengabad police station. All the labourers are safe,” a police official told IANS over phone.
The Maoists had on Saturday night set two road-rollers and two tractors on fire near Giridih’s Badbara village, around 190 km from Ranchi, and taken six road construction labourers hostage.
Police suspect that refusal by the road construction firm to pay levies demanded by the rebels may have been the reason behind the attack and abductions.
Maoists are active in 18 of Jharkhand’s 24 districts.