Chhattisgarh tribal boy flees from Maoist captivity

Raipur, March 31 (IANS) A minor Chhattisgarh tribal boy who was abducted by Maoists on charges of acting as a police informer, managed to flee from the rebels' captivity in restive Bastar region and reached safety after a night-long walk through the jungle, police said Saturday.

The 15-year-old boy, Pakluram Mandavi, who belonged to a jungle pocket of Narayanpur district, some 300 km south from Raipur and a stronghold of Maoists since late 1980s, was abducted by Maoists last Tuesday for acting as a "police informer".

"The boy who hail from Toyemeta area managed to flee from rebels' captivity Friday night and reached Orchha police station Saturday after walking through the dense jungle area almost whole night," Devnarayan Patel, the sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) in Narayanpur's Orchha area told local media persons.

He said that the boy seemed mentally and physically exhausted after his ordeal and feared he would be abducted once again.

"He (the boy) has been kept at Orchha police station and will be under police protection for a few days," Patel said.

Narayanpur is one of the districts worst-hit by Maoists in Chhattisgarh where rebels have abducted and killed several local civilians in past two years, accusing them of working as police informers.