Maoists free abducted collector Vineel Krishna and engineer

The Maoists on Tuesday night released two abducted government offcials- a district collector and a junior engineer- after the Orissa government accepted most of their demands and released jailed rebel leaders.

Officials said Malkangiri district collector R. V. Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi were on their way to the district headquarters from the hideout of the Maoists where they were held hostages for the past six days.

Earlier in the day, a top Maoist leader lodged in a prison was granted bail along with 11 others as efforts continued in Orissa to secure the release of the collector and the junior engineer from the rebels holding them in capitvity since Feb 16.

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.

Malkangiri district collector R. V. Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi have been hostages by the Moaists since their abduction last week.

The rebels said they would release 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.