Bhubaneshwar:
The fate of the tribal MLA abducted by Maoists in Odisha continues to hang in the balance. The ultras have further extended the deadline to April 18 for the state government to release 29 prisoners in return for setting free ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA, Jhina Hikaka. Significantly though, the Maoists have dropped the name of dreaded leader Chhedda Bhusanam alias Ghasi from the list of prisoners that they want freed unconditionally for the safe passage of the 37-year-old legislator.
The latest decision of the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), which took Mr Hikaka hostage, was conveyed to their lawyer Nihar Patnaik this morning. He was advised to come to Balipeta village near Narayanpatna with the MLA's wife and all 29 released prisoners at a time to be specified by them for the formal handover of the hostage.
Later, the AOBSZC issued an audio message in Telugu in this regard. The Maoists want all charges against 29 prisoners, including the 25 who figure in the government's list of to-be-released prisoners, to be dropped before they can consider releasing the MLA.
"We hope that bail petitions will be filed on behalf of the 15 members of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh and eight members of the CPI-Maoist shortly, may be Monday or Tuesday. We hope that some of the bail petitions will be made," UN Behera, Odisha Home Secretary said. He, however, maintained that the prisoners seeking release must do so by moving their bail applications in the concerned courts, adding that the state government was yet to take a decision on the Maoist demand to withdraw all cases against them on political grounds under Section 321 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
The state government had, earlier this week, issued a fresh appeal to the Maoists to release Mr Hikaka at the earliest. "I plead the Maoists to release our MLA immediately...his entire family is waiting for him," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had said soon after Italian national Paolo Bosusco walked free after 29 days in Maoist captivity.
Mr Patnaik had also visited the MLA's home in Laxmipur on Friday and met with the latter's wife, Kaushalya Majhi and other members of his family. The visit was believed to have been planned to dispel the perception that the state government was not doing enough to secure the release of Mr Hikaka.
The MLA's wife had also appealed to the Maoists to release him safely. "The Maoists didn't have any personal enmity with my husband. They have taken him so that their demands are met, I want to tell them that he is an honest man and they should free him and send him back safe and sound, I have my trust in the state government, they are trying their best... the Chief Minister has assured me that my husband will be brought back safely," she had said.
The Maoists faction holding the MLA hostage had earlier set a deadline of April 10 for freeing 30 prisoners including Ghasi who is accused of killing 55 policemen.
Mr Hikaka was abducted by Maoists from the Koraput district of Odisha on March 24 while was on his way back home to Laxmipur. He was taken hostage by the Maoists while his driver and personal security officer were let off.
The tribal leader, who was elected for the first time to the state assembly in 2009 from the Laxmipur seat, was involved in a political deal earlier this month with the Maoist-backed Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) in the neighbouring block of Narayanpatna, a well-known 'Red Zone' in Odisha's Koraput district.