Maoists in Bihar, who had extended the deadline till 10 am on Thursday for releasing their eight jailed commanders has ended. The Maoists had threatened to kill the four abducted policemen if the eight commanders were not released by the end of the deadline. Earlier, the rebels had set the deadline at 4 pm on Wednesday but later they extended it.

The rebels had on Wednesday threatened the families of two of the four security personnel captured in Sunday's gun battle.

The Maoists called Manju Sinha, mother of Sub-Inspector Rupesh Kumar Sinha, and Rajani, wife of Sub-Inspector Abhay Yadav, on Tuesday, asking them to request Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to release the rebels.

Manju Sinha immediately called Kumar's residence in Patna, while Rajani met him on Tuesday evening. Kumar reportedly assured them that all the captured policemen would be rescued.

Earlier, Maoist spokesperson Avinash told reporters on the phone: "We have already communicated our demand to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar."

The government claimed to have launched a combing operation in the area on Tuesday to flush out the rebels.    

BDO set free

After another failed attempt to get their cadres released, the Maoists let off Tariyani Block Development Officer Manoj Kumar Singh after 40 hours of captivity on Tuesday morning.
 
Singh, who was taken away by a group of motorcycle-borne rebels from Tariyani-Chhapra village in Sheohar district, about 240 km from Patna, on August 29, said he was released about 6.00 am on Tuesday morning.

Singh said the abductors "served chapattis, pulses and vegetables. They even offered me cigarettes ".

He said the way the rebels were talking showed that they were educated. "They assured me that they were not going to kill me or demand any ransom. They've held me to get their cadres free."