Mining company staff freed by Maoists after being kidnapped

Four officials, including a general manager of a private company, who were kidnapped this morning by Maoists from an iron ore reserve in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Kanker district have been released, the police said.
"The officials were released late this evening after the Maoists warned them not to carry out any mining in the region," Kanker Superintendent of Police Jitendra Singh Meena told PTI.
Five staff members of the Neco Jayaswal Company namely, General Manager Mithlesh Chaudhary, Supervisor Deenanath Patel, Shyam Sundar Sahu, Dipesh Kaiwartya and geologist S K Paul were abducted by Maoists while they were on inspection work at Chargaon iron ore reserve where the company has been carrying out mining work.

However, a squad of around 30 armed Maoist rebels stormed the Chargaon reserve and whisked away five staff members, the SP said.
"Of them, geologist S K Pal was released in the afternoon while other officials were freed later," he said.
Soon after being informed about the incident, security forces were mobilised in the region, around 200 km away from the Chhattisgarh state capital of Raipur, to rescue employees, he said.

"No specific demands were made by Maoists to free the abducted people, though they warned them not to carry out any mining work in the region," he said.
The released officials reached Chargaon, he said, adding that they would be interrogated soon.

A combing operation is underway in the region to nab the Maoist cadres involved in the incident, he said.