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Maoist rebels refuse to release Italian hostage
PTI BHUBANESWAR THE Maoist group holding an Italian hostage on Friday rejected Odisha government’s offer of freeing prisoners and threatened to take the “extreme step” if its demands were not met within 96 hours even as the ultras, who abducted a BJD MLA were yet to respond to the offer.
In an audio message to a section of the media, top leader of the Maoist Odisha State Organising Committee Sabyasachi Panda said the list of prisoners proposed to be freed for securing the release of Italian Paolo Bosusco was unacceptable and gave a 96- hour ultimatum.
Panda had demanded immediate release of seven persons, including his wife Subhashree Das alias Mili Panda for Bosusco’s release.
But he said the government’s list excluded many whose release had been demanded.
Subhashree’s name figured in the list of four persons proposed to be freed by the government.
Panda also sought a written agreement on fulfilment of the demands.
He described the State government’s talks with Maoistnominated negotiators B.D
Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty as a “farce” and said no clear-cut decision had been taken on the 13 demands made for the release of Bosusco.
Panda accused the State government of adopting delaying tactics and threatened to take the ‘extreme step’ if the demands were not met.
The ultimatum came a few hours after the government and Maoist mediators held talks on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s announcement of the names of 27 persons, including eight Maoists, to be released in returning for freeing BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka and Bosusco.
Referring to the BJD legislator’s abduction on March 24, Panda said the incident had raised several questions and the government’s attention appeared to have shifted from securing the release of the Italian, who was kidnapped on March 14.
The development came as a setback for the State government’s efforts to secure the release of the Italian. Italian Ambassador Giacomo Sanfelice di Monteforte met Chief Secretary BK Patnaik after the fresh development.
The Chief Secretary said the fresh demand by Panda was being examined.
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