Maoists backtrack, want prisoner swap on their terms-Feb 24, 2011

Maoists backtrack, want prisoner swap on their terms

Sandeep Mishra, TNN, Feb 24, 2011, 01.05am IST


Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna

BHUBANESWAR: A day after agreeing to release Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna, the Maoists backtracked and issued a fresh demand that more of their jailed comrades be freed, bringing the total number of prisoners to be swapped to nine, official sources said here on Wednesday. The demands were made in a letter that junior engineer Pabitra Mohan Majhi, abducted along with the collector, returned with after a week of captivity.


The letter says the Maoists want at least three of the nine prisoners to swapped with the collector in a public exchange, adding that they want the mediators to meet them along with Swami Agnivesh at a place of their choice. Chief secretary Bijay Patnaik confirmed saying, "We've got a letter in Telugu. We're examining it," he told TOI.

The three interlocutors, R Someswar Rao, G Haragopal and Dandapani Mohanty, expressed shock over the Maoists fresh demands and appealed to them through the media to release Krishna by 6pm, Thursday. "We're shocked," said Mohanty, adding, "The Maoists want us to physically go there (Malkangiri). It won't be possible as Rao and Haragopal are unwell."

Haragopal said, "They've set some new conditions. We feel it would not be possible to abide by these new conditions and this will complicate matters."

The Maoists letter stated that Krishna would be released after incarcerated Maoists Ganti Prasadam, Padma, and Sriramalu Srinivas, are set free. The other prisoners are Ashutosh Sen, Tapan Mishra, Gananath Patra, Iswari, Sarita and Gokul Kulpidia (a truck driver arrested with Padma, Iswari and Sarita on Nov 13 in Koraput) get bails. While the Orissa high court gave bail to Ganti arrested on November 20 on charges of sedition, it's yet to decide on bail to Padma, Iswari, Sarita and Kuldipia.

On Tuesday evening, the mediators along with Ganti and Hyderabad-based Maoist sympathizer Vara Vara Rao had assured the government that the two would be set free within 48 hours. It followed the state government and the mediators agreeing to resolve 14 Maoists demands, including withdrawal of cases against Ganti, Padma, Iswari, Sarita and Kulpidia and examine release of Sriramalu, Ashutosh and others on merit. The government also committed to review cases against around 700 jailed tribals within three months. "We request them to honour our word and release Krishna by 6 pm on Thursday. I am making the appeal also on behalf of Ganti and Vara Vara Rao," Haragopal said.

Officials fear the Maoist strategy is to drag the hostage drama. Maoists, sources said, are planning a public meeting at one of the three gram panchayats, Badapada, Raleguda and Papermetla, from where they had kidnapped Krishna and Majhi on February 16. Their aim is to justify the collectors' abduction before the villagers. The time and venue are not yet known. "They possibly want to make a public show of the swapping prisoners with the collector," an officer said.

"Collector Sir is fine. Maoists told me they will release him within 48 hours," Majhi told reporters in Malkangiri. The Kudumulugumma block junior engineer said a group of Maoists escorted him up to Jantapai village before freeing him. From there he traveled on a motorcycle to Janbai ghat and crossed the Balimela reservoir in a country boat. He later reached district headquarter town of Malkangiri. He said Maoists kept him and the collector together and did not torture them.