Maoists release two abducted Orissa Police officers

Bhubaneswar, Apr 04 (UNI) Maoists today released R Udayagiri Sub- Jail Superintendent Rabi Narayan Sethy and R Udayagiri Police station officer-in-charge Ranjan Mallick at an undiclosed place, after keeping them hostage for twelve days in the deep forest close to Andhra Pradesh-Orissa border.

The abducted police officials were handed over to two reporters by the villagers, who brought them to R Udayagiri in their vehicle.

Nearly 400 armed Maoists had raided the small town of R Udayagiri in naxalite dominated Gajapati district on March 24 and kidnapped the two officials at gun point after attacking the police station, OSAP barrack, Treasury office and other government organisations.

Three jawans were killed and five others had been injured in the fire exchange between the security force and the Maoists who ransacked the police station and looted arms and ammunition from the OSAP barrack.

Though the police launched extensive combing operation after the incident the whereabouts of the two police officers abducted by the Naxalites could not be ascertained till April 2 last when TV news channel showed them safe inside the dense forest surrounded by the armed Maoists.

Two reporters of TV News Channel managed to accompany the Naxalites to an undisclosed place inside the deep jungle close to the Andhra Pradesh border and got first hand information about the well-being of the two abducted officials.

Both the abducted officials told the TV News channel that the state government must find out ways for their safe release from the hands of the Naxalites.

On March 30, a letter bearing the signatures of the twoabducted officials was sent to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Director General of Police Suchit Das urging for help for their release and for fulfilling the demands of the Maoists. The letter cited the demands of the Maoists which included, among others, a ban on handing over the state's natural resources to foreign companies, a stop to suppression of the people's movement and displacement in the name of setting up of big industries, withdrawal of all ''false'' cases lodged against the tribal activists and Maoists and for treating the Maoist prisoners languishing in various jails in the state as political prisoners.

Mr Mallick's parents also met the Orissa Chief Minister and urged him to take steps for the early release of their son while Mr Sethy's had appealed to the Naxalites to release her husband.

On April 2 Abhimanyu Sethy, the younger brother of the abducted Jail Superintendent had met the Chief Minister and appealed to the government to take steps for the release of his brother from the Maoists.

UNI