Responding to the appeal of Orissa government and others, suspected Maoist abductors of Malkangiri district collector R. V. Krishna today extended the deadline fixed by them for fulfilment of their demands.
A senior member of Andhra-Orissa Border Zonal Committee (AOBZC) of Maoists informed a section of media here about their decision of extending the deadline.
“Secretary of AOBZC Bhaskar has suggested to PLGA (People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army) to extend the deadline as the state government has agreed to have talks on the just and democratic demands of the party,” Maoist ideologue V. V. Rao told PTI over phone.
“I cannot say for how long, but I am sure that they have extended the deadline,” he said, adding that everything would now depend on the outcome of the negotiations.
“Though we have not received any formal communication from the abductors, mediators informed the state government that since the process of negotiation with Maoists has started the deadline set by them is deemed to have been extended,” Home Secretary U. N. Behera told PTI.
Hopeful of release of Mr. Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi, a senior official said the mediators were likely to arrive here on Saturday to hold talks with the state government.
Apart from the state government, two mediators, V. V. Rao, Swami Agnivesh, family members of the abducted IAS officer and junior engineer and many other civil societies besides the people from different walks of life had appealed to the Maoists to extend the deadline.
Krishna and Majhi were abducted from Malkangiri district on Wednesday evening by Maoists who then set a 48-hour deadline for fulfilment of their demands of halting the combing operations and release of tribal rebels lodged currently in jail.
Mediators set to arrive in Orissa capital, hold discussions
The two mediators handpicked by the Naxals to negotiate the release of the Malkangiri district collector and a junior engineer will hold discussions with the Orissa government today on the demands made by the Maoists.
“Prof Someswar Rao and Prof Hargopal (both from Andhra Pradesh) will reach here today ... then we will start discussions on the demands made by the Maoists,” Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a statement in the state assembly here.
The two mediators were handpicked by the Naxals to negotiate the release of Krishna and Majhi.
Noting that the Maoists have extended the deadline for fulfilment of their demands, the chief minister said the government has requested the Naxals not to harm the duo.
The state government has already stopped anti—Naxal combing operations across the state paving the way for negotiations, he said.
