Naxal ideologue demands announcement of release of 7 persons

Bhubaneswar, Feb 18 (PTI) Shortly after Orissa ChiefMinister Naveen Patnaik''s appeal to Maoists to extend deadlinefor fulfilment of demands for release of abducted MalkangiriDistrict Collector and an engineer, Naxal ideologue V V Raotoday demanded announcement of release of at least sevenpersons jailed in stray cases.

"I have asked the state government to make anannouncement for release of at least seven persons who havebeen jailed in unreasonable and stray cases by 6 p.m. thisevening," Rao told PTI over phone.

The government need not immediately release the sevenbut an announcement should be made by 6 p.m, he said.

This would facilitate both extension of the deadlineas well as release of Malkangiri District Collector R VKrishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi, he added.

Rao said he has conveyed the suggestion to the stategovernment during a telephonic conversation with OrissaIndustries Secretary T Ramachandru on the issue.

The naxal ideologue said he had also named the sevenpersons - Sriramulu Srinivasulu, Ghantiprasad, Padma (wife ofMaoist leader Ramakrishna) and four others. PTI AAM SKN CR