Maoists respected my dignity: Collector

Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna, who was released by the Maoists after nine days, said on Friday the Maoists took care of his well being and dignity and that he will continue to do the good work in the area.

“I have been doing good work and would like to continue bringing development to the people,” Krishna said.

“I am absolutely fine. There were no health problems. They had made it clear that they will not harm me,” he said. 

Sharing the experience of being a hostage, Krishna said that the Maoists themselves were tensed about the incident.

“We didn’t have many discussions because they themselves were quite tensed about the whole incident. There were discussions, quite general in nature and not politically demanding,” he said.

Krishna also revealed that the Maoists changed their position thrice during the hostage crisis.

Earlier, expressing happiness over the release of Krishna, Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik had said the state government did not bow down but made some commitments.

The 30-year-old IAS officer was released by the Maoists in an area called Duliamba in the forests in Chitrakonda district on Thursday night.

Extensive negotiations took place between the government and the Maoists. Krishna was meant to be released on Tuesday night along with junior engineer, Pabitra Majhi, who too had been kidnapped from Malkangiri on February 16.

The abductors had put forward new demands for Krishna’s release, which were conveyed in a letter sent through Pabitra Majhi, who returned home on Wednesday evening after he was released by the Maoists near the Ambadoli village of Chitrakonda district. Three mediators appointed to hold talks with the Maoists had earlier been told that Krishna would also be released on Wednesday. But in the letter, the Maoists said they wanted their leaders to be handed over to them in Malkangiri. 

The Maoists demanded the release of Ganti Prasadam, who was been granted bail by Orissa high court. He was arrested in November and charged with sedition. Prasadam’s release was at the top of their agenda.

The Maoists also wanted Padma, wife of a top rebel leader, to be released. These demands were in addition to other demands that had earlier been put before the Orissa government.