Ramkeshwar Tiwari and his wife Mamta Devi in front of their house in Rohtas. Picture by Sanjay Chouudhary

Patna, May 15: Mamta Devi, a resident of Parariya village in Naxalite-affected Rohtas district, is reluctant to approach police to get her three minor sons rescued from the clutches of the Maoists.

Rather she is trying to convince her husband, Ramkeshwar Tiwari, 45, to follow the diktat of the rebels and save the lives of Chintu (7) Alok (5) and Dheeraj, who were kidnapped by Maoists from their house in Parariya village, about 75km south of Dehri-on-Sone, late on Friday night. Ramkeshwar was not present when the Maoists barged into his house. Tiwari’s neighbour Raj Grih Mishra (55) was also taken hostage.

“Please do not publish anything against the Maoists, otherwise they will kill my children,” 40-year-old Mamta pleaded before a group of journalists who visited the village situated on the bank of Sone, on Sunday. Terror was writ large on her face. The residents of the village preferred not to talk much about the banned outfit.

The residents of the village, which has a population of not more than 100 people, said that Ramkeshwar had an old dispute over a plot of land with a co-villager Prem Chandra Mishra. Mishra, instead of lodging any complaint with the local police, approached the Maoists to settle the dispute.

About a week ago, Tiwari was served a notice by the Maoists and asked to be present at the kangaroo court. However, Tiwari did not turn up at the jan adalat (kangaroor court), which apparently antagonised the Maoists and they kidnapped his three children. “When the Maoists could not find my husband in the house, they took my three children, including one who is two-year-old, as hostage,” Mamta said.

Sources said Tiwari’s house was set ablaze by the rebels about two months ago.

As the area is inaccessible for the police, the Maoists have an edge and they are virtually running a parallel administration in the area.

A police officer posted in the district said people in the area have more faith in the Maoists than administrative officials as the latter are least bothered about their problems, especially those related with the land.

When contacted, Rohtas superintendent of police Manu Mahraj said he has information about the kidnapping of four persons from Chutia police station but no formal complaint has been lodged in connection with the incident. “We are alert and keeping a close watch on the activities of the rebels,” he said.