Maoists abduct Orissa Collector R Vineel Krishna

Bhubaneswar : Moaists abducted Malkangiri district Collector R Vineel Krishna while he was returning home at Gumma block on Wednesday and sounded an ultimatum to the administration for withdrawal of central para-military forces in Orissa.

The state government, despite attempts from different levels to have words with the rebels since the kidnapping of the IAS officer, could not set up any communication channel.

Malkangiri’s additional superintendent of police A Das said there had been no words with the Collector since Wednesday afternoon.

This was first such kidnapping of an IAS official in Orissa.

Maoists have been demanding withdrawal of Central forces and release of their jailed leaders.

The 30-year-old government officer along with a junior official went to Chitrakonda area, a Maoist bastion, some 90 kms from MKalkangiri headquarters, for some work related to local development programmes.

After that both of them remained incommunicado despite many attempts to trace their whereabouts.

The Maoists, however, let go free another junior engineer, with a hand written note giving an ultimatum of 48 hours for the release of the Collector.