Raipur/Bhubaneswar, Feb 8: The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Mr Raman Singh, on Tuesday assured civil rights activist Swami Agnivesh that all anti-Naxal operations in Bastar would be suspended for 24 hours to pave way for safe release of five abducted jawans of Chhattisgarh Armed Force, held hostage by Maoists since January 25.
Hours after the rebels reportedly agreed to set free the hostages in the presence of civil rights activist Swami Agnivesh, the latter contacted Chief Minister in the evening requesting him to fulfill certain pre-conditions put up by the Naxals to release the abducted jawans.
“The CM had a telephonic talk with Swami Agnivesh for 20 minutes on the pre-conditions set by the rebels. The CM assured that police would cease all operations in Bastar in the period preceding and subsequent to the handover of the hostages”, sources in the CM’s office said.
Meanwhile in Orissa, the police and CRPF on Tuesday gunned down a Maoist area commander at Chandiposh near Rourkela in Orissa’s Sundergarh district.