Bhubaneswar, Jan. 13: The high drama over the alleged kidnapping of five state government servants by Maoists in the cut-off area of Malkangiri district, around 600km from here, turned out to be a damp squib.

Director-general of police K.B. Singh told The Telegraph that the news of the kidnapping of the five officials was not true. "Three of the allegedly abducted officials have already returned home safely and the other three are on the way." Chitrakonda sub-divisional police officer Rahul P.R. also said the news regarding abduction of the officials was a rumour.

"The Naxalites had neither contacted the officials nor kidnapped them. All of them are safe," said the SDPO.

Lingaraj Majhi, one of the government officials also on panchayat poll duty in Malkangiri, said the officials had not been kidnapped. They had just not reported to duty fearing Maoist backlash. Earlier, Purushottam Behera, Kaminikant Singh, Pravin Soren, Lingaraj Majhi and Hrushiskesh Nayak had been to five village panchayats of Chitrakonda area, which is cut-off by the Chitrakonda reservoir, to collect nomination papers as the filing of nomination papers started from January 11. They, along with Maonoranjan Sisa, son of a village head, were reportedly missing.

District officials are in panic as the Maoists have asked the people to boycott the panchayat polls. They have also asked the officials not to attend the poll duty.