Naveen bows to Maoists’ demand

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government on Wednesday decided to release eight Leftwing extremists and 15 members of Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha (CMAS), a frontal organisation of the Maoists, for the safety of abducted BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka who has been kept hostage by the Maoists since March 24 last.

The government also agreed to release four persons whose names were given by the CPI( Maoist) Odisha Organising Committee in exchange of Italian national Paolo Bosusco who was abducted by the Leftwing extremists on March 14 last.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the decision of the government in the State Assembly and appealed to the Maoists to release the BJD MLA and the Italian national unharmed and in good health.

Patnaik said the names of those to be released will be announced on Thursday.

In his statement Patnaik said considering the safety if the young tribal MLA of Laxmipur, it has been decided by the state government to facilitate the release of 15 members of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh and also 8 left wing extremists who were now lodged in jails of Koraput and Malkangiri.

The chief minister further said it has also been decided to facilitate the release of four persons from the list given by the mediators of the Odisha State organising committee of the CPI (Maoist), the abductors of the Italian national.

The Andhra Odisha Borders Special Zonal Committee(AOBSZC) of the CPI ( Maoist) which had abducted the ruling BJD MLA on March 24 last had set April 5 as deadline for the fulfillment of the demands for the release of the abducted MLA.

In an audio tape sent to the media, AOBSZC Secretary Chandramouli has rejected the offer for any negotiation and asked the state government to release the CMAS leaders and others naxalite leaders lodged in Korapuit and Malkangiri jail.

Prior to that also CPI( Maoist) Odisha Organising Committee secretary Sabyasachi Panda had relapsed another audio tape to the media, asking the state government to fix up a date for the release of seven persons now lodged in various jails in the state in exchange of the Italian hostage.

Hardcore Naxal leader surrenders : Meanwhile, fed up with the dominance of the Leftwing ultras belonging to Andhra cadre, Maoist leader Sanjaya Pujari alias Parveen on Wednesday surrendered before the Malkangiri police superintendent Anirudh Singh.

Police said Parveen(30) was active in the Malkangiri district since last eleven years and was the ‘area commander’ of the Populur Dalam operating in the southern odisha districts.

The surrendered Maoist was a sharp shooter in the Maoist camp and was involved in as many as four encounters with the security forces.

He was also involved in several others Maoists violence in Malkangiri district. (UNI)