RAIPUR: After ambushing security personnel and killing 23 of them, Maoists claim to have abducted a CoBRA commando who is listed as missing since the encounter.
“CoBRA constable Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, hailing from Jammu, is alive and safe. He is in our captivity. He will not be harmed. Will give further information in next call,” a man with a heavy voice, claiming to be a Maoist from ‘south sub-zonal bureau’, told a Sukma journalist over the phone at 11.26am on Monday.
Manhas’ wife Meenu has appealed to PM Modi and home minister Amit Shah to get her husband back. “I appeal to Modiji to rescue my husband safely, just the way Abhinandan was brought back from Pakistan. I last spoke to him on Friday. He told me he was going on an operation and would speak to me later,” she said.
Meenu said that the family hasn’t got any update or information in the past two days. Police have had no contact with Manhas in the last 48 hours. DIG anti-Naxal operations O P Pal told TOI, “I can’t comment on the authenticity of the call.” Maoists have often used hostages for PR.