Human rights? group condemns Orissa Collector?s kidnapping

Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) on Thursday condemned the kidnapping of Orissa?s Malkangiri district Collector R Vineel Krishna by the Maoists.

?Taking of hostages constitutes a gross violation of international humanitarian laws specifically the Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions applicable in non international armed conflict situations. The Maoists must respect international humanitarian laws and taking of hostage cannot be justified on any ground,? said Suhas Chakma, ACHR director.

The ACHR urged the Maoists to release Krishna at the earliest.

Maoists had abducted 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.

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

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.