(Top) Paolo Bosusco and Jhina Hikakation

Bhubaneswar, April 9: Uncertainty looms large over the release of the two hostages — MLA Jhina Hikaka and Italian tour operator Paolo Bosusco — as the demands of their Maoist abductors are still being examined by the state government.

Things appeared to have become complicated for the state government with the Odisha Police Officers’ Association and the Havildar, Constable and Sepoy Association threatening to launch an agitation if any top Maoist was released to secure the release of the hostages. Chief secretary B.K. Patnaik said: “We are examining all the legal aspects.”

Following his statement, the three bureaucrats involved in negotiations with the two-Maoist chosen interlocutors reiterated their appeal to the rebels to set the hostages free unharmed while pointing out that the release of the 23 Maoists and rebel-backed Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) activists as promised by the government would take time because of the legal formalities involved.

Home secretary U.N. Behera, who led the government team at the recent talks with the Maoist-nominated mediators, said that the kidnappers of Hikaka had asked his wife to reach Balipeta village in Koraput district on April 10 along with CMAS activists the government had asked to set free. However, he said that even though the government had agreed to facilitate the release of 23 persons, including 15 CMAS members, to secure the freedom of the MLA, their release from prison involved the judicial process of grant of bail by the courts concerned.

“It is advised that steps be taken on behalf of the 23 detainees to file their bail petitions,” the home secretary said though he refused to comment on whether Hikaka’s wife Kaushalya Majhi would actually to go Balipeta village tomorrow or not.

The CPI(Maoists) Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), holding the MLA, has asked the legislator’s wife to reach Balipeta village near Narayanpatna in the company of the two Maoists interlocutors, forest rights activist B.D. Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty and advocate Nihar Patnaik along with the detainees whose release the rebels are demanding. However, while Sharma has left for Delhi, Mohanty did not appear to be in a mood to go to Naryanapatna in Koraput district.

Responding to queries, Mohanty said: “According to the Maoists’ demands, I have to take all the prisoners with me. The government has not asked me to go to secure the release of the MLA. I am in Berhampur and not going to Koraput.” Though Kaushalya said she was ready to do anything to secure the release of her husband, she had no immediate plans of going to the Balipeta without an assurance from the state government.

Referring to the confusion with regard to the demands made by CPI(Maoist) state organising committee secretary Sabyasachi Panda, who is holding the Italian tour operator hostage, the home secretary said it appeared that the joint statement signed by the government team and the two Maoist-nominated mediators had not reached the rebel leader. He said that in order to clear any confusion that Panda may have in mind, the mediators have been asked to send him a copy of the joint statement. Besides, in this case, too, bail petitions in case of Maoists to be released from jail as part of the understanding between the two sides ought to be filed.

In another development, the elected zila parishad members of the Naryanpatna area in Koraput district today staged a dharna outside the district collectorate and demanded that all cases against CMAS convenor Nachika Linga be withdrawn immediately. They also demanded that cases against the members of the CMAS should also be withdrawn and false cases lodged against innocent people by branding them as Maoists should also be withdrawn. The CMAS also demanded that land should be taken away from the non-tribals and distributed among the tribals.

On the other hand, the Odisha Police Officers’ Association and the Havildar, Constable and Sepoy Association took a tough stand. “We strongly oppose the decision of the state government to bow down before the extremists and initiate measures for the release of the Maoists,” said Odisha Police Officers’ Association chief S.M. Sharma. He said the association would be forced to resort to agitation if the government took measures to release the Maoists as this would affect the morale of the police force.

“The demands of Maoists are increasing and the state government should not accept their demands to release hardcore extremists. The government should act tough and not bow down before the rebels,” said Odisha Havildar, Constable and Sepoy Association president Padmanabh Behera.