The Left continued to reach out to other parties in its bid to topple the UPA Government with CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan meeting RLD chief Ajit Singh in New Delhi on Thursday.
"I am the only policeman and the rest four occupants of the jeep are civilians," the khaki-clad Bardhan reportedly told the Maoists and requested them not to harm the civilians after they were kidnapped on Thursday.
Ten persons, accused of being Maoists and involved in the killing of a police sub-inspector and a Central Reserve Police Force jawan, were acquitted by a court in Rourkela. Additional district judge of the fast-track court Gopabandhu Patnaik acquitted them on Wednesday for lack of evidence in the killing of sub-inspector Ajit Bardhan and CRPF man Abdul Rafiq in July 2009. According to the prosecution, 30 people were arrested in connection with the killing of the SI on July 16
Maoists shot dead a police officer they had abducted, even as a Central Reserve Police Force jawan was killed in a landmine explosion during the combing operation launched to rescue him, at Chandiposh forest area, approximately 50 km from Rourkela in Orissa on Friday. The body of Sub-Inspector Ajit Bardhan, 30, who was abducted by armed Maoists late on Thursday night, was recovered during a combing operation. CRPF jawan, Abdul Rafiq, 29, was killed in a landmine explosion.
Naidu broke the fast by taking a glass of coconut water following intervention by Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan, Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav, Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh and other leaders who prevailed upon him to end the fast.