Wednesday, November 16 2005 15:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jehanabad: Police have stepped up 'Operation Hot Pursuit' to track down naxalites responsible for the siege in Jehanabad and arrested 'a few' Communist Party of India (CPI) (Maoist) rebels even as the underground outfit today (Nov 16, 2005) claimed it had no hostages.

Three companies of the CRPF, one of Rapid Action Force, Special Task Force commandos, besides district armed police have been pressed into service for the combing operations, which are going on round-the-clock, the newly appointed special IG for Jehanabad S K Bharadwaj told sources before flying along with STF SP Sanjay Singh for an aerial survey to detect any naxalite movement on the ground.

"A few naxalites, including some hardcore ones, have been apprehended and they have given us some vital clues", he said while refusing to disclose the details.

Bharadwaj, quoting a pamphlet issued by CPI(Maoist)'s Magadh area committee, said the banned outfit had claimed it had no hostages and was responsible for the slaying of only two Ranvir Sena leaders; Bade Sharma, who was killed at the jail, and Visheshwar Rai, whose bullet-riddled body was found at Pinjora village.

''We are still verifying the veracity of the claim,'' he said.

Bharadwaj, himself a former SP of Jehanabad, said a number of escapees from the Jehanabad jail during the storming by the Maoists on Sunday night had contacted him and expressed their willingness to surrender.

''I have asked them to surrender before the local police,'' he said.

Jehanabad District Magistrate Rana Avadhesh, has put out advertisements in some dailies saying no punitive action will be taken against the escapees if they surrendered in the next 24 hours.

Avadhesh said 332 of the 389, who had either fled of their own accord or were abducted by the Maoists, were still to return.

The district magistrate said he had recommended to the government revival of 'Operation Siddharth' aimed at rehabilitation of naxalites, which was abandoned about a decade ago.

Bharadwaj said villages vulnerable to retaliatory attacks by the Ranvir Sena, the proscribed militia of upper caste land owners, have been identified and security beefed up there.

"Our goal is to prevent any retaliation by the Sena, set free those kidnapped by Maoists and bring to justice those responsible for Sunday's attack", he said adding no paucity of police force or other resources would be allowed to come in the way.