Families appeal to ideologue

The family members of four Chattisgarh policemen believed to be in held captive by Maoists met Maoist ideologue K Vara Vara Rao in Hyderabad on Monday and appealed him to urge the rebels to release the hostages.

The wives of the cops said they were helpless as neither the police nor the state government was in a position to help them. Uma,wife of one of the cops,said that the government has not started any talks with the Maoists to secure their release. They also urged Rao to at least find out if the abducted cops were alive or not.

The wives of the four policemen,their children and some relatives came to meet me at my house. They requested me to intervene and appeal to the Maoists to release them. I have already done that and I have again appealed to the Maoists in Chattisgarh to release these four policemen unharmed, Rao said. Though the demands of the Maoists are genuine,killing hostages is not humane. Since they are hostages since nine days they have to be treated by Maoists as war prisoners and have to be released unharmed.