ODISHA: BJD MLA abducted by Maoists

Bhubaneswar, March 24 (PTI): A tribal MLA of the ruling BJD in Odisha was abducted by Maoists in Koraput district, nearly 460 km from here, in the early hours of Saturday Jhina Hikaka, legislator from Laxmipur, was returning home from Koraput when more than 50 armed rebels stopped his vehicle near Toyaput, Koraput Superintendent of Police Avinash Kumar said. While the personal security officer (PSO) and driver of the MLA were allowed to leave, Hikaka was taken away into the nearby forest, about 40 km from here by the ultras at gunpoint, he said. The PSO and driver informed the Laxmipur police station about the incident, the Kumar said, adding steps have been initiated to ascertain the whereabouts of the legislator. The abduction came 10 days after the Maoists took two Italians hostage from Kandhamal district on March 14 and talks were in progress between rebel-nominated negotiators and government representatives to resolve the crisis. The incident happened hours after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik appealed to the rebels to desist from violence. Meanwhile, Maoist negotiators engaged to end the Italian hostage crisis - B.D. Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty - have appealed to the Maoists to release the legislator without delay. Soon after the news broke out, chief minister Naveen Patnaik convened a meeting of senior officials in the state secretariat and discussed various ways to solve the crisis.

Maoist ideologue urges Orissa govt to release tribals by June 30

By Ratikant Mohanty

www.indusvalleytimes.com

Bhubaneswar, May 25: Revolutionary poet Varavara Rao on Wednesday urged he Orissa government to release “human rights activists” like Ganti Prasadam, Gananath Patra and Ashutosh Sen and nearly 600 tribal farmers currently lodged in various jails in the state by June 30 or face imminent revolt.

“We met chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday evening and told him to honour his words on dropping cases lodged against innocent tribals and release them along with human scores of tribal rights activists who have been thrown into prison cells on false charges. The chief minister assured us to initiate steps in this regard. If the government fails to act by June 30, the tribals would decide their own alternative,” Mr Rao warned.

He added that the government should expedite the legal process for early release of innocent people who have been framed as Maoist activists.

Chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik, while reacting to Mr Rao’s remarks, said the state government had already reviewed cases against tribals.

“Nine cases where 168 tribals are accused are being processed for withdrawal of prosecution. Besides, 55 other minor offences against tribals are also being considered for withdrawal.” Mr Patnaik said, adding the process was likely to be completed by end of June.

Mr Rao along with Professor G. Hargopal and Mr Dandapani Mohanty, the interlocutors who facilitated release of former Malkangiri collector R. Vineel Krishna from the Maoists in March, met the Orissa chief minister on Tuesday and held detailed discussions on the 14 conditions of the rebels the government had agreed to fulfill.

During the discussion on Tuesday, the state government informed the interlocutors that it had constituted a committee headed by chief administrator of KBK region to look into tribal land dispute and suggest means to restore tribal land, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said.

Before leaving Orissa, Mr Rao and Professor Hargopal went to Jharpara circle jail here and met “Maoist” sympathizers Gananath Patra, Motilal Soren alias Ashutosh Sen and Subhashree Panda, wife of Orissa’s top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda.

Meanwhile, the Orissa police on Wednesday seized nearly 2.5 quintals of explosives from Nayaranpatna forest in Koraput district.

www.indusvalleytimes.com

Collector goes missing, Maoists’ hand suspected

Police clueless about Krishna's whereabouts

By Gurudatta Behera

Malkangiri:, Feb.17: Mr R. Vineel Krishna, the district collector of Malkangiri, went missing on Wednesday evening while returning from public relations camp in a cut-off area inside the Chitrokonda reservoir in the district.

The police suspects that Mr Krishan could have been abducted the Maoists.

Malkangiri, located nearly 750 km from state headquarters, is one of the worst Maoist-hit districts in Orissa.

According to reports, Mr Krishhna had gone to attend a Jana Sampark Yatra (public relations camp) at Badapada village under Kudumuluguma block. He was accompanied by District Rural Development Agency project director Balabant Singh, Kudumuluguma block junior engineer Pabitra Majhi and an employee of Paribartan, a local non-governmental organization.

From the Jana Sampark Yatra place, the collector along with Mr Singh, Mr Majhi and the NGO activist left for Papermetla area by motorcycles to monitor implementation of Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutkaran Yojana, a rural electrification programme. On the way they were intercepted by a group of Maoists who took them to forests.

The released the NGO activists and project director of DRDA sending a letter in their hand demanding release of all Naxal cadres from various jails within 48 hours.

Additional director general of police, Sanjiv Marik said all communications with the collector got disconnected soon after he left the meeting place at around 4 pm.

In Cuttack, the state’s police headquarters, director general police Manmohan Praharaj said: “Nothing could be said at this moment. I will reply at the appropriate time”

Southern range director general of police Soumendra Priyadarshi could not be contacted for his comment as his mobile phone answered “switched off.”

Last year, the rebels had killed at least 38 greyhound jawans of the Andhra Pradesh police they were returning from a combing operation atAlampaka near Gudulguma.

Sources said the collector had not taken adequate security forces with him since the rebels never targeted any senior government officials.