Abducted engineer returns home; collector yet to arrive

Junior engineer Pavitra Majhi, one of the two government officials abducted by Maoists, returned home on Wednesday. However, district collector R. V. Krishna is yet to arrive.

Majhi returned to his home at Malkangiri town in Orissa on a motorcycle on Wednesday afternoon.

Officials said Krishna too is expected to reach home soon.

On Tuesday night, there were reports that Maoists have released the two abducted government officials- a district collector and a junior engineer- after the Orissa government accepted most of their demands and released jailed rebel leaders.

Earlier on Wednesday, Professor Hargopal, one of the two mediators chosen by the Maoists, told NDTV that the release of the two was not yet confirmed and that they had “announced the Collector will be freed in 48 hours which still holds (Wednesday morning).”

The reports on Tuesday night indicated they were on their way in a vehicle to the district headquarters from the forest hideout of the Maoists where they were held hostages since Feb 16.

Celebrations had also broken out at Malkangiri where the abducted collector was loved and respected by the poor people, including the tribals, for his many developmental work initiatives.

Orissa chief secretary B K Patnaik, however, had said Tuesday night that the officials would be back in next 48 hours, even as a huge crowd gathered outside the house of the collector at Malkangiri.

“We are very happy that he is coming back,” said an uncle of the abducted collector had said.

“It was a principled and matured way of handling the crisis,” said ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lawmaker Jay Panda on Tuesday commenting on the swap deal.

Earlier, a top Maoist leader lodged in a prison was granted bail on Tuesday along with 11 others to secure the release of the collector and the junior engineer from the rebels.

The released Maoist leader is Sriramalu Srinivasalu while the rebels also want release of leaders like Ganti Prasad Rao as a trade off for the release of Malkangiri collector R V Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi. .

The mediators chosen by the Maoists had begun negotiating with the jailed Maoist leader – Ganti Prasad Rao- on Tuesday.

Professor G Hargopal and Dandapani Mohanty, who have been chosen by the Maoists to mediate with the Orissa government, called Ganti Prasad Rao at a jail in Jharpada and started negotiation on the demands of the Maoists in lieu of freedom of the two officials.

Prasad was brought here from a Koraput jail to talk with the interlocutors.

The rebels had said they would release the hostages only after the Orissa government withdrew the central forces being used against the Maoists and free their leaders from jails.

Prasad’s participation in the negotiations was also a demand of the Maoists, who masterminded the kidnapping of Krishna and Majhi on Feb 16 from Chitrakonda area of Malkangiri district.