Six top Bihar police officials on Maoists' target list

Superintendents of police of six Maoist-affected districts as well as some politicians in Bihar are on the target list of Maoist rebels, according to sources.

A top police official said that an intelligence report from the central government has alerted the state government about Maost threat to the SPs of six districts including Gaya, Rohtas, Banka, Munger, Jamui and Aurangabad.

"After the intelligence report about a threat to them, the state government has beefed up  their security and urged them to take precautions while venturing out to Maoist areas," said a police official.

The security measures come in the wake of the abduction of a collector in Chhattisgarh and a legislator in Odisha.

Legislators of Maoist-affected districts -- including Gaya, Aurangabad, Rohtas, Jehanabad, Banka and Jamui -- have been asked to keep local police stations informed about their visit and avoid late night visits to Maoist-affected areas.

All officials, particularly district magistrates and divisional commissioners, have been asked to avoid visiting rural areas with only a few security personnel.

According to an official in the state intelligence department, there were reports about Maoists attempting to abduct a legislator or top officials in Bihar to create trouble for the state government.

"Maoists are desperate to free their leaders lodged in different jails across the state. They could strike here, like they did in Odisha and Chhattishgarh, to bargain for it," said the official.

A senior police official said, "The district magistrates have to assess their security needs during visits to rural areas. It is for them to decide upon their own security,"

He pointed that the Maoists abducted the Sukma collector due to the lack of security personnel guarding him while he was visiting a village.

According to official sources, the government has asked officials to use anti-landmine vehicles in sensitive areas and instructed them not to use vehicles on culverts and small bridges.