Ranchi, Nov 13 (Inditop.com) Suspected Maoist rebels abducted a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislator and his six supporters in Latehar district of Jharkhand when he was returning home after attending a party, police said Friday.

Ram Chandra Singh, RJD legislator from Manika assembly seat in Jharkhand was abducted near Khikir river on Thursday night. He was returning home with his supporters after attending a party at Tarwadih village when he was stopped by 20-30 armed men in the area, around 160 km from Ranchi.

The kidnappers took the legislator and his supporters to a jungle nearby. Five of the supporters were released later.

“It seems the Sanjay Yadav group of Maoist rebels abducted Ram Chandra Singh,” Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Palamau range Shashinath Jha told IANS. “This is a splinter group of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist). A search operation has been launched to rescue Ram Chandra Singh.”

According to police sources, the Sanjay Yadav group is active on the Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border.

This is first time that a legislator has been abducted by Maoist rebels in Jharkhand.