Bhagalpur, May 16: Bihar government employees assigned to conduct the tenth phase of the ongoing panchayat elections at Lakshipur block in Maoist-affected Jamui district on May 18 refused to receive their duty letters today.

More than 24 hours have elapsed but Jamui police have not yet been able to trace the seven missing polling personnel of booth numbers 31 and 44 at Mariyam Pahari Mission School and Mandap Makerken respectively under Sonho block in the district. Panic runs high in the entire district. The panic-stricken polling staff at Lakshmipur block today refused to conduct the polling out of fear of yesterday’s incident. Despite the request of Manish Kumar, the Jamui district magistrate, the government staff did not turn up to take the appointment letters. Lakshmipur, another stronghold of the rebels, would go to polls on May 18.

Jamui police, led by the Jamui superintendent of police, R.N. Singh, conducted raids at Mariyam Pahari localities along with a Special Task Force team and the 131st battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). An army helicopter today made an air survey over Sono block and its adjourning parts.

Last morning, the rebels blew up a Tata Magic vehicle (15E-5223) in which eight polling personnel were on their way to conduct the polls at two booths with polling materials with a powerful landmine. The vehicle driver died on the spot owing to lack of any treatment, while Surya Narain Yadav, a teacher deputed as presiding officer, sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Jamui. After the land mine explosion, seven polling personnel went missing.

The Jamui administration has started avoiding the media. The police detained a group of reporters who were on way to Mariyam Pahari today. Not a single official was available for comment. Jamui deputy development commissioner G.P. Srivastava, who has been supervising the rescue operation, refused to divulge any information. “You have shown the classic example of yellow journalism by asking me about the development of the hostage crisis over the telephone,” he started shouting at this correspondent.

Deputy inspector-general of police, Munger range, Anil Kishor Yadav, who yesterday lambasted the polling party members and held them responsible for the incident for not obeying the instructions of senior officials, however failed to comment on why the police detained two innocent youths of Mariyam Pahari hamlet for more than 15 hours.