Tue 06 April 2021:
A journalist from Sukma on Monday said he had got a call from Maoists, claiming that the commando is in their captivity and he will not be harmed.
“As of now we cannot confirm that the missing jawan is in the captivity of Naxals as they haven”t issued any statementor photographs in this connection. We are trying to trace him through all possible channels,” Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.
The police are also contacting local villagers to check if they have any information related to the missing jawan, he said.
Another senior police official posted in Bastar said there is a strong possibility of the jawan being in the captivity of Naxals, because the forces cordoned off the entire encounter site and area around it in the last two days, but could not find him.
Family of CRPF jawan Rakeshwar Singh Manhas of Jammu, who was part of the team that was attacked by Naxals in Chhattisgarh and has been missing, is awaiting his return. pic.twitter.com/R9oMyR7erw
— News18 Jammu (@News18Jammu) April 5, 2021
The CoBRA jawan was part of a squad that had gone for an anti-Naxal operation on Friday night in the forests of Bijapur and Sukma border.
On Saturday, the gunfight broke between Tekalguda and Jonaguda villages in which 22 troopers were killed and 31 others injured.
Back in Jammu, the family of Manhas are keeping their fingers crossed that he would be released without harm. Meenu said she had last talked to her husband at 9.30 pm on Friday and he told her that he was leaving for an operation and packing food.
“He told me he will return the next day.”Manhas, according to his wife, was posted in Chhattisgarh three months ago. “No CRPF or government official has visited us to brief us about the latest situation,” Meenu said, adding that it is the responsibility of the government to trace the missing jawan.The abducted jawan’s brother-in-law said the entire family is in shock ever since Manhas has gone missing.
Union Home Minister of India, Amit Shah on Monday visited Jagdalpur and Bijapur to review the situation and said the government will intensify its ongoing fight against the Naxal menace.
