“I feel secured now. The decrease in criminal activities in the area of late makes me feel relieved,” he said.

An armed group had abducted him on May 24, 2013 while he was going to a nearby village to purchase oxen and released him from Indian village of Sirsiya after receiving Rs 500,000 in ransom.

“I had to sell four kaththas of land to pay loan that the family members took to cough up the ransom. But I take a sigh of relief to learn that some of my abductors have been arrested and some killed in police action,” Yadav said.

Umesh is just a case in point. According to police, seven people were abducted and few others were extorted in separate incidents in Pokharbhinda, Sonama, Sarpallo, Basapitti, Badiyabanchauri, Dhamaura and other adjoining villages in the district in the past 10 months. The villagers however claimed that the number of abductions was far more than what is mentioned in the police record. Victims’ family members do not report such incidents to police due to threats from abductors.

Among the abductees, Bikram Sahani of Sarpallo-7 was killed as his family members failed to provide the demanded amount of ransom to the abductors.

Mahottari Police has launched a security campaign to arrest abductors. With the improved security situation, the victims of abductions and extortions, who left the village earlier, have already returned and few others are preparing for the same. Police arrested four suspected abductors, including three Indian nationals, in the district in the past few months. Superintendent of Police (SP) Ram Prasad Shrestha said two abductors, who attacked a police patrol team in Halkhori on February 1 and in Sonam after few days, were killed in police action. Jaya Kabul Nadaf of Ramgopalpur1 and Serajul Mansuri Neri of Banchauri-2 were killed in the encounters.

Police claimed no incident of abduction has been reported after some abductors were arrested, two killed and few others fled the district. Local people said a nine-member group of abductors was creating terror in the area in the past. “We are still in fear as few of the abductors are still at large,” a villager said.

Claiming that the security situation has improved, SP Shrestha said police are committed to maintaining peace in the district.