Kandhamal:
After spending 11 days in Maoist captivity, one of the two Italian nationals, Claudio Colangelo, was released in Odisha's Kandhmal district to a group of journalists on Sunday.
The other Italian national, Bosusco Paolo, is however, still being held hostage by the Maoists.
A group of journalists, including those from NDTV, had gone to interview Maoist commander Sabyasachi Panda. During the interview, the Maoist leader said he could be releasing one of the hostages, Mr Colangelo, as a goodwill gesture and to carry their message to the government.
"The government is responding positively to our first demand that tribal areas should be given for tourism and other purposes and we are welcoming this thing. The other thing is that the government is agreeing to free the prisoners but you look at one Bengali poor artisan or a person working in a sweet stall - that person is arrested and one Chhattisgarh garage worker is arrested," said Mr Panda. (
Watch)
Mr Colangelo was then handed over to the journalists on Sunday morning. He was escorted to the nearest police station.
Soon after his release, Mr Colangelo told NDTV, "It was a frightening experience. For the last four days, I was being promised that I will be released. But it didn't happen. Finally it has happened. I hope Paolo is released soon. I hope they understand that Paulo has nothing to do with this war. " (
Watch)
Mr Paolo, who is still being held by the rebels, has been visiting Odisha since 1999 and runs a travel agency in Puri that takes foreign tourists on tribal tours. Mr Colangelo, who was freed on Sunday, is a tourist.
The two Italian nationals were abducted from the border of Ganjam and communally sensitive Kandhamal district on March 14. The 13 demands the rebels set for their release include a ban on the visit of tourists to the tribal areas; halt on anti-Maoist operations and release of several prisoners.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik held a high-level meet on Sunday morning over the kidnapping of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Jhina Hikaka. The MLA was kidnapped by Maoists in the state's Koraput district early Saturday morning. Mr Patnaik issued a fresh appeal to the Maoists for the MLA's release. (
Read)
"I appeal most strongly to the Maoists in the Koraput district to release the young tribal MLA, Jeena Hikaka of Laxmipur constituency," he said. (
Watch)