As negotiations continued between the Orissa government and the Maoists for the release of two abducted Italian tourists, the rebels struck again early Saturday, kidnapping a tribal BJD MLA from Laxmipur, Jhina Ekaka, from Tayaput in Koraput district. The abduction was by Maoists who belong to the Srikakulam-Koraput divisional committee.
Central intelligence age-ncies suspect the MLA’s abduction was carried out by Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna, a CPI(Maoist) central committee member and secretary of the Andhra-Orissa border special zonal committee.
The incident derailed negotiations to secure the release of the two Italians held hostage by another group of Maoists in the dense forests of Kandha-mal. The MLA was abducted 10 days after the Maoi-sts took the two Italians hostage on March. 14.
Interlocutors B.D. Dutta and Dandapani Mohanty said they had suspended the negotiations after the rebels, despite a ceasefire, killed a police offer in Malkangiri and kidnapped the MLA. The interlocutors earlier said on Friday that there would be a “positive outcome”, possibly release of the foreigners, by Saturday evening.
Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik spoke to Union home minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday morning, informing him about the fresh incident. While the home minister offered the Centre’s full cooperation, Mr Patnaik apparently has not yet sought any assistance. State chief secretary B.K. Patnaik also spoke to Union home secretary R.K. Singh. Central paramilitary forces are on standby, ready to move into the state at short notice if required.
Koraput superintendent of police Avinash Kumar said the MLA was returning home from Koraput at around 1 am when nearly 100 armed rebels stopped his vehicle by placing a truck on the road near Toyaput. The Maoists took the MLA away with them, but released his driver and security officer, asking them to inform the media about the kidnapping.
The Maoists later issued a declaration through posters that the MLA would be kept hostage until the demands for a halt to anti-Naxalite operations by the security for-ces, accepted after the release of the then Malka-ngiri collector in February 2011, were fulfilled.
The two interlocutors told the media: “We feel this (fresh violence) is a mockery of the peaceful talks and negotiations. We therefore suggest that the negotiations be suspended... We appeal to the Maoists to adopt a benevolent humanitarian path, and release the three hostages.”
Soon after the news broke, Mr Naveen Patnaik convened a meeting of senior officials at the state secretariat on the crisis. He then spoke to the legislator’s wife, Kaushalya Majhi, and assured her all “possible steps” would be taken to free her husband. Two senior ministers, Surya Naryan Patro and Lal Bihari Himrika, flew to Laxmipur and met the MLA’s wife.