Flanked by gun-wielding and masked Maoists, officer-in-charge Atindranath Dutta (in spectacles) minutes before his release on Thursday evening in the Bhulagera forests of Lalgarh. A Maoist poster hung from his neck says ‘P.O.W. juddha bandir mukti sammelan (a meeting to release the prisoner of war)’. Picture by Samir Mondal

Oct. 22: The Maoists released Sankrail officer-in-charge Atindranath Dutta around 8 tonight at Bhulagera forest village in Lalgarh after striking a deal with the state government that allows 14 jailed tribal women to walk free.

After 54 hours in captivity, Dutta was led to a gathering of journalists and lawyers at Bhulagera primary school, a white paper inscribed with the words PoW (prisoner of war) pasted on a piece of red cloth hung from his neck.

“I wasn’t worried about myself; I was concerned about my parents, daughter and wife,” Dutta told the media, whom the Maoists had called for the hand-over after the government promised the rebels safe passage under the deal.

Maoist leader Kishanji, his face covered like all the guerrillas’, ceremonially removed the red cloth from Dutta’s neck. “You are being released…. It is up to you whether you will continue to remain with the police, but don’t commit atrocities on poor people,” he said.

The OC left with the journalists, walking 2km to the metalled road where the media’s cars were waiting. He was handed over to police at Jhargram town, 25km from Bhulagera, and will reach Calcutta tomorrow.

Dutta’s wife Indrani said in Calcutta: “I can’t describe how relieved I am. But I shall feel sure of his release only when I see him with my own eyes, I guess.”

Kishanji said the release had been delayed because early this morning, the joint forces encircled part of the Punnapani forest near Dharampur adjoining Lalgarh and appeared to be shooting at what they thought might be rebel hideouts.

“I wanted to release OC babu earlier, but with the police beginning their operations, the process has been delayed,” Kishanji had said in the morning. “Unless the forces stop their operations and remain confined to their camps for the next 24 hours, we will not take responsibility for OC babu’s life.”

The firing stopped soon, but government sources suggested Kishanji had no intention of releasing Dutta so early and had all along planned to do so after sunset to avoid being attacked after the release.

“The Maoists had made it clear they would release Dutta only after the judge granted the Adivasi women bail, which he did in the afternoon,” the officer said.

In keeping with the deal, the government did not oppose the bail petition of the women who had been arrested on September 22 for allegedly attacking the police. They will be freed tomorrow after formalities are complete.

The deal was struck after Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said yesterday afternoon that a “negotiation and settlement’’ was needed with the “kidnappers’’. The government decided to contact the Maoists through “unofficial channels”. A source said: “If any harm came to the officer, the state’s image would have taken a beating.”

A senior inspector-general got in touch with an aide of Kishanji with help from an officer of West Midnapore police around 8pm. The rebels had initially asked for the release of Lalgarh leader Chhatradhar Mahato, withdrawal of the joint forces from Lalgarh and bail for the women.

But the government rejected the first two demands and the Maoists quickly climbed down under pressure.

“The women were not hardened terrorists, just supporters of Mahato’s (People’s) Committee,” an officer said. “Although their release is a huge victory for the Maoists — as they will be seen to be with the tribals, fighting for their cause — the government’s message that for every policeman killed, 25 Maoists would be killed had also sunk in.”

It was to keep up this pressure that the morning offensive at Punnapani was launched. “The idea was to zero in on their base… to send the message that if they didn’t release the OC even after the (women got bail), the forces would attack their hideout and kill or arrest several of them,’’ a source said.

Dutta said he was told past midnight “that I might be released today”. The OC, who was in the same off-white T-shirt and trousers that he wore when he was taken hostage on Tuesday afternoon, said he had been shifted frequently. “The Maoists were initially aggressive but later they co-operated with me.”

Atindranath’s wife Indrani after his release. (Amit Datta)

Refusing to elaborate on the deal, chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti said: “We tried all possible ways to get him (Dutta) released and eventually that fetched results.’’

Director-general of police Bhupinder Singh said: “I am not concerned about the means or whether our government reacted at gunpoint. I only know the results.”

He, however, indicated this was not the end of the anti-Maoist offensive: “We are certainly not into Gandhian philosophy.”

The DGP also said that bail for the tribal women did not mean action against them would cease for ever.

“Bail doesn’t prove their innocence. We will frame chargesheets and submit them in court. Then it is for the court to decide whether the accused will be punished,” he added.

Kishanji said it was a “great victory” for the people of Lalgarh. “This is the first time that we have released a PoW,” he said.