A 12-day hostage crisis ended after Communist Party of India-Maoist
(CPI-Maoist)
released Sukma District
Collector Alex Paul
Menon in the evening
of May 3, reports
The Hindu.
The Maoists handed
him over to their
interlocutors G.
Haragopal and B.D.
Sarma, who flew
a Government helicopter
to Chintalnar and
rode motorcycles
deep inside Bastar
forests. Menon was
abducted near Manjhipara
village in Sukma
District on April
21.
The release of the 2006 batch IAS officer was facilitated by
discussions between
Haragopal and Sharma,
on one side, the
Government-nominated
Nirmala Buch and
S.K. Mishra, on
the other. All the
four interlocutors
discussed the Maoist
demands for three
days and hammered
out an agreement.
Interestingly, the
Government did not
immediately give
into the demand
for release of eight
jailed Maoists,
though the Security
Forces were confined
to the barracks
in Bastar.
As per the agreement, the Government set up a high-power standing
committee to ‘regularly
review all cases
of undertrials.
These include Maoist-related
cases too. “The
prisoners are in
distress in view
of the long time
taken in investigation/prosecution
for various reasons
and the great inconvenience
caused to their
near relatives/family
members who come
from long distances
to meet them in
jail,” the agreement
said.
Meanwhile, a bail petition was moved in a Raipur court for
the release of Maoist
leaders Santipriya
Reddy, wife of Gudsa
Usendi, a member
of the Dandakaranya
Special Zonal Committee
(DKSZC) and Malati
Chowdary. These
two were among the
eight whose release
was demanded by
the Maoists in exchange
for the abducted
Collector. | 
