Saturday, February 12 2005 13:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Sambalpur: The Communist Party Of India-Maoist (CPI-M) activists, who had abducted 14 labourers from two camps in Rairakhol sub-division of Sambalpur district, have released all of them, police said.

The labourers were brought by the ultras into a forest adjoining the villages where the labour camps were located last night (Feb 11, 2005) and released them, the Superintendent of Police, Sambalpur, Susanta Kumar Nath said.

Nath said that intense pressure was being mounted on the Maoist activists, which forced them to release the labourers.

About 50 ultras, some of them masked and carrying weapons, had raided Phulkusum and Podanala villages under Kisinda police station and forced 19 labourers to accompany them into the deep jungle on February 9.

Five of them were later released by the ultras who burnt down an excavator and a dumper before leaving the place.

The labourers were engaged in the construction of a road in the area under the pradhan mantri gram sadak yojana.

The combing operation by Orissa State Armed Police (OSAP) and Greyhound personnel was continuing in the forests, the police said.