Bhairahawa, January 20:

Accusing the Maoist retaliation group of terrorising people, victims filed complaints against the former at the Rupandehi District Administration Office (DAO) yesterday, demanded that members of the group be punished.

According to the victims, the members of the group have been extorting money from the people of the Marchwar area of the district.

Accusing Santosh Shreevastav, Aashutosh Shreevastav, Mohammad Sekh and Amad Musalman, members of the retaliation group, of looting cash from them and beating them up, Ramjas Chamar and Haddhis Dewan of Karauta village development committee-4, Bangain, had filed the cases.

Chamar, in his complaint, has accused the group headed by Santosh Shreevastav, coordinator of the retaliation group, of abducted him and taking him to Semara village development committee on December 15.

“After taking me in the house of Shiv Pujan Yadav in Semara VDC, they covered my eyes and demanded Rs 80,000. As I could not provide the money, they threatened to shoot me dead on the charge of being a Maoist cadre. They released me when my son paid half the amount.”

Dewan, in his complaint, has accused the members of the retaliation group of abducting him from Bhairahawa on December 8.

“They abducted me in the name of interrogating me and demanded that I cough up Rs 50,000. They kept me for a day without providing me food at the Bhairahawa-based Muslim hotel and released me only after my father-in-law paid them.”

The members of the group threaten to kill the people in the name of Maoists if they are not given money, the victims said, demanding that they be given their money back. The chief district officer, Gangadhar Awasthi, said: “The administration has called on the District

Police Office to investigate the cases.”

Superintendent of Police Bishwo JBR said, “A team has been dispatched in the area for further investigation.”