Not subjected to any assault in Maoist captivity : Collector

Malkangiri (Orissa), Feb 24 (PTI) Affirming he was notassaulted in Maoist captivity, Malkangiri District Collector RV Krishna, released after being held hostage for nine days,tonight said he came back because of the tribals who hadshowered him with all the love and affection.

"There was no physical or mental torture on me or thejunior engineer Pabitra Majhi when we were held captive by theMaoists," the 2005 batch IAS officer said adding his abductionwas a surprise.

The 30-year-old, who was accorded a warm welcome bypeople from all walks of life all along the road fromChitrakonda to the district headquarters town following theend of his nine-day captivity, said he felt indebted to thetribals for being lavished with all love and affection.

Recollecting the hours when he was taken hostage,Krishna said "after attending a public interaction camp atBadapada, I had gone to inspect a development scheme at aninterior pocket when some people surrounded me. They told methat I and Majhi were being abducted."Asserting that he was treated well by the ultras,Krishna said there was "not much" problem in the Maoist camp.

"They gave me the same food they were having," the IITgraduate-turned IAS officer recalled.

The menu for lunch and dinner was mostly rice and dal,the collector said adding he was confined in a cut-off areaand was shifted from one camp to another.

"I was thinking of development of tribal people duringmy nine-day stay in the capitivity," Krishna said to aquestion about his state of mind as a hostage. He felt thatthe abductors released him to solve problems faced by tribalsin a backward district like Malkangiri, Krishna added.

While addressing tribals at the Maoists''s ''People''scourt'' where he was released in the presence of the media,Krishna referred how in the course of his 11 months asCollector of Malkangiri, he had taken several steps for thewelfare of people.

"I went to a cut-off area because many governmentofficials are reluctant to go there due to the difficultterrain and inaccessibility," he said.

Krishna, who was garlanded by tribals at villages onway to Malkangiri, said many work in the remote area had beenhampered as government employees were often scared of visitingNaxal-prone zone.

He claimed his visit to the Maoist zone was tomotivate the government officials and others.