Patna ? The Nepali Maoists say they are going to take the matter of what they call sustained persecution against their arrested leaders and cadre by the police of the Indian state of Bihar to international forums. ?A formal allegation will be lodged with Amnesty International and at the International Committee of the Red Cross against the Bihar police for the torture of our leaders and cadres in custodies,? read a statement issued by the CPN-Maoist in Patna. The rebel party added that the police actions contravened international humanitarian laws. The statement also compared the physical torture meted out by the Bihar police to the recent Iraqi prison scandal at Abu Ghraib. Two weeks ago, 11 Maoists, including central leaders Rajendra Thapa and Lokendra Bista, were arrested from a Patna hotel. (Nepalnews.com)