Bhubaneswar, April 24: Maoists have kidnapped three persons in Malkangiri district.

Police are acting cautiously as any coercive action may endanger the lives of the abductees.

The police gave the names of abductees as Hatiram Pujari, Padlam Pujari and Gopi Pujari. Malkangiri superintendent of police Akhileshwar Singh said that while Gopi was kidnapped from Udaygiri village in the Mathili police station area, the gang of 15 armed rebels had picked Hatiram and Padlam on April 21 from Kyang village in the same police jurisdiction.

“The reason behind the kidnapping is still unknown. They are being held somewhere on the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border,” said Singh, adding that while Padlam was a mason, Gopi used to sell liquor. The police have so far not initiated any action for release of the abductees as it might put their lives in danger. “If we take action and something untoward happens to them, their families will blame us,” said Singh.