Patna, May 17: Two of the three children abducted by the Maoists from Parariya village under Chutia police station in Rohtas district on May 13 were released late on Monday evening. However, seven-year-old Chintu is still in captivity.

Rohtas superintendent of police Manu Maharaj confirmed the release of the two brothers — Alok (5) and Dheeraj (2) — by the members of the banned outfit yesterday.

He said efforts were on to rescue the third boy.

Sources said the rebels freed the two sons of Ramkeshwar Tiwari, a farmer, demanding that he (Tiwari) withdraws the case related to land dispute.

The Maoists also let off Raj Grih Mishra, Tiwari’s neighbour, who was also taken hostage by the armed squad members with Tiwari’s three minor sons.

“We are worried over the safety of Chintu, who has not yet been released,” a relative of Tiwari said.

About two dozen armed guerrillas had swooped on the village situated on Sone river around May 13 midnight and held four persons captive at gunpoint.

They were looking for Rajkeshwar Tiwari, who was not present in the house at the time of the operation.

Tiwari’s wife, Mamta Devi, had told a group of reporters that she did not report the matter to the police apprehending reprisal from the Naxalites, who are virtually running a parallel administration in the area close to the borders of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.

A joint police team of the Central Reserve Police Force and the district armed police launched a combing operation in the areas falling under Chutia, Rohtas and Nauhatta police stations of the district.

This is perhaps the first time that the Maoists kidnapped children to settle scores with those defying their diktat. The rebels had issued a directive to Tiwari to appear in a kangaroo court but he failed to turn up on the day.