Orissa hostage crisis: Engineer freed, Collector to return home soon

Mangalore Today News Network

Bhubaneswar, Feb 23 : Bhubaneswar, Feb 23:  One of the two men taken hostage by Naxals in Orissa has been freed. Junior Engineer Pabitra Majhi was seen on a motorcycle riding near his home town of Malkangiri. Mr Majhi was kidnapped a week ago along with District Collector Vineel Krishna, who is expected home soon, say officials.

 

 

The two men were kept at a Naxal camp in the forests along the Andhra-Orissa border till last night, when the mediators between the Naxals and the government announced that a compromise had been reached and that Mr Majhi and Mr Krishna would be released within 48 hours.

This morning, with no sign of either man, there was concern among those involved with the negotiations, including the three mediators headed by Professor G Haragopal

However, the Naxals said that the terrain made it tough for the hostages to be escorted out as quickly as planned.

The terms and conditions of their release include the government sanctioning the release of senior Naxal leader Ganti Prasadam who is in an Orissa jail. His bail application was filed on Monday and will be heard today in the Orissa High Court.