Italian hostage crisis: 1 freed, fate of other Italian, MLA unknown

Maoists on Sunday freed one of the two Italians, tourist Claudio Colangelo, held hostage by them for 11 days in Kandhamal district, as a goodwill gesture while his compatriot was still held captive by the rebels.

61-year-old Colangelo's release came a day after talks between the left wing extremists and Government mediators were suspended when ruling BJD MLA from Laxmipur, Jhina Hikakawhen, was abducted by over 50 Maoists while he was returning home from Koraput district.

A visibly relieved 61-year-old Colangelo, who was handed over to a group of media personnel by the Maoists in the tribal-dominated Kandhamal district, told reporters, "it was a frightening experience. For four days, I was being promised that I will be released. But it didn't happen. Finally, it has happened."

Colangelo, who spoke to wife soon after he was handed over to a group of journalists this morning, said though he didn't like the food served to him, they have treated us the best they could.

A group of journalists had gone to interview Maoist commande Sahyasachi Panda during which he said one of the two Italian hostages would be freed as a goodwill gesture and to carry their message to the Odisha government.

Panda made it clear that the second Italian hostage, 54-year-old Puri-based tour operator Paolo Bosusco, will not be released till the state government responds to their demands. He said the hostage will not be harmed.

Making a fresh appeal to the Maoists to immediately release Bosusco held in Kandhamal and the BJP MLA from Koraput, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said his government was ready to resume negotiations with the Maoist interlocutors.

Intelligence agencies see behind the latest development a factional rivalry  between Odisha State Organising Committee (OSOC) and Andhra Odisha Border Zonal Committee (AOBZC), the two groups of Maoists in Odisha seeking dominance.

Colangelo denied reports that photographs of tribals were being taken by the Italians, defying a government ban, when the Maoists captured them. "No photographs were being taken," he claimed.

On reports that police had warned them against entering the jungles, Colangelo said on the contrary, we went in only after police allowed us.

He said Bosusco was with him in a Maoist camp this morning. "We have to pray for him and see that he too returns safely," he said.

"We got entangled in the conflict between the government and Maoists. We had little knowledge about the Maoist problem in the region," he said.

To a volley of questions, Colangelo said four to five Maoists had abducted them at gun point on March 14 while they were bathing in a river.

"We were treated very well, the best possible they could under the given circumstances. I don't want to get into politics ... I leave it to the professionals," he said.

Kandhamal Superintendent of police JN Pankaj said Colangelo was handed over to journalists in Tanjingia area near Daringbadi town in the tribal-dominated Kandhamal district this morning.

He was taken to Sorada in Ganjam district from where the tourist is likely to be brought here.

Home Secretary UN Behera said Colangelo called him up and spoke to him soon after being released by the Maoists.

"Colangelo told me that he was set free and that he was in good health and unharmed," Behera said.

Bosusco was still being held captive by the Maoists, the home secretary said.

The abduction of the BJD MLA was preceded by the gunning down of a police sub-inspector in Malkangiri on March 22 and the killing of two policemen in a landmine blast in Koraput on March 18, which police and intelligence sources said pointed to factionalism among the Maoists.

A senior intelligence official said on condition of anonymity that Maoist leader Panda, who appeared to have been sidelined in the higher hierarchy of rebel leadership, might be behind the abduction of the two Italians in a bid to assert his authority in the region.