Ganti, others move HC seeking bail

Cuttack, Feb 21 (PTI) Five hardcore Maoists, whoserelease was sought for release of the abducted Malkangiridistrict collector and an engineer, today moved the OrissaHigh Court for bail after their plea for the same had beenrejected by a lower court.

One of the five was Ganti Prasadam, who has about 100cases in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa against him.

Maoist chosen mediator Prof G Hargopal said releasingleaders like Ganti Prasadam could play a significant role innegotiations with Maoists for the release of the Collector R VKrishna and engineer Pabitra Majhi who were abducted fromChitrakonda area in Malkangiri district on February 16.

A prayer was made to the High Court to take up thematter immediately as their release on bail had a bearing onthe ongoing dialogue between the state government andmediators named by Maoists at Bhubaneswar to facilitate saferelease of Krishna and Majhi.

The bail petitions, however, have not been taken upyet by the High Court. It is also not known when they would betaken up, advocate of the petitioners P K Jena said.

The five, who have filed their bail petition, areAndalui Eswari, Rosa Mandagi alias Kuni, Kenula Sirisa aliasPadma, Gokul Kuldipia and Ganti Prasad Rao alias Prasadam.

Padma is the wife of senior Maoist leader.

While the first four were arrested at Similiguda inKoraput on November 13, 2010 on their way to Narayanpatna inKoraput, Ganti Prasadam was rounded up by the Orissa Policefrom Andhra Pradesh on November 21.

They were booked under various sections of the IPCincluding waging war against the country.

Meanwhile, the bail petition of another Maoist leaderSriramlu Srinivasalu was heard by the Fast Track Court inMalkangi today.

Additional District Judge of the Fast Track Court P KKarna posted the judgement to be pronounced tomorrow.

The Maoists were demanding Srinivasalu''s release also.

The Maoist leader, who was arrested in July 2007 fromKalimela area, had filed his bail application before the FastTrack court on February 19. The judge then posted the hearingfor today.

A former chief of Revolutionary Writers Association,he had been lodged in Malkangiri jail except for a few monthswhen he was taken to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in connectionwith some cases against him there.

Srinivasulu has been acquitted in four cases byMalkangiri court, while hearing in another case was going on.