Bhubaneswar: 12 Maoists including hardcore rebel leader Sriramalu Srinivasalu were today released on bail as talks for safe return of abducted Malkangiri district collector and an engineer appeared to reach a decisive stage after another top Naxal Ganti Prasadam joined the negotiation process.
Srinivasalu got bail along with 11 others from a fast track court in Malkangiri. The Maoists had demanded release of Sriramlu, Ganti Prasadam, Padma and several others for freeing district collector R.V. Krishna, a 2005 batch IAS officer, and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi.
They were abducted on Wednesday last. The mediators - Prof R.S. Rao, Prof Hargopal and Dandapani Mohanty - today consulted Maoist leader Ganti Prasadam, who was shifted to the special jail in the state capital from Koraput.
"It is the common responsibility before us to defuse the situation," Prasadam said after reaching here from Koraput. After the third day of talks, state Home Secretary U.N. Behera said, "We are nearing close (to resolving) the issue with the mediators selected by the Maoists."
"They (mediators) are in touch with him (Prasadam)," the Home Secretary said. Asked whether the state government would oppose the bail of certain other Maoists leaders, Behera did not give a direct reply and said, "We have progressed well in the matter."
The state government was represented by Behera and Panchayati Raj Secretary S.N. Tripathy. The three mediators went to Jharpada jail for discussions with Prasadam. Contentious naxal demands like release of Maoists and 700 tribals, withdrawal of BSF and CRPF from Malkangiri and Koraput were discussed at length as Krishna, 31, and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi spent yet another day in captivity. Participation of Prasadam in the negotiations was one of the major demands of the Maoists who had abducted the two officials on February 16 from Chitrakonda area of Malkangiri district.
While eight of the 14 demands of Maoists were settled between mediators and state government officials yesterday, discussion on the remaining six would hold the key to resolution of the crisis, sources said. Prasadam has moved a bail petition before the Orissa High Court along with four other Naxals.
The state government has decided not to oppose Prasadam's bail, they said.