Wednesday, March 9 2005 09:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Sasaram (Bihar): Armed Communist Party if India (CPI-Maoist) naxalites abducted 11 devotees when they were going to the famous Guptadham temple in Bihar's Rohtas district on the occasion of Mahashivratri yesterday (Mar 8, 2005) but later freed seven of them, police said.

The naxalites stopped a group of worshippers at Penari Ghat at the base of Kaimur hills while going to the temple and kidnapped four of them at gunpoint, police said.

They later released one of the hostages and took the others away to an undisclosed place in Kaimur hillock, the police said, adding a land dispute was stated to be the reason behind their abduction.

In another incident, the extremists abducted seven people from Amchua village located on Kaimur hills while they were going to the temple on the occasion of Mahashivaratri, sources in Chenari police station said.

The ultras later freed six hostages.